The national peak for First Nations legal services says various services around the country will freeze if the federal government doesn’t agree to an emergency funding package.
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS) has called on the federal government to provide $250million which would go towards keeping existing services operating as normal and give them the capacity to fill service gaps.
The peak body has announced 13 locations in New South Wales that will have to freeze, while some have already gone offline in Queensland.
It comes ahead of the federal budget to be handed down next week.
NATSILS Chair, Karly Warner says legal services are struggling like never before.
The 13 Aboriginal Legal Service local court services set for freezes in NSW, include:
• Byron Bay
• Eden
• Forster
• Junee
• Lithgow
• Moss Vale
• Muswellbrook
• Scone
• Singleton
• Temora
• Tenterfield
• West Wyalong
• Wauchope
