Despite the state’s network of community legal centres providing free, quality legal services to more than 75,000 Victorians each year, the increasing need for help means many more are missing out on potentially life-changing support.
Community legal centres are on the frontline of responding to the growing cost-of-living crisis, and provide a critical service to Victorians experiencing a range of challenging situations such as housing stress and family violence or those recovering from disasters.
The mounting community need is leaving community legal centres with the capacity to only provide legal services to one out of every three Victorians who actively seek help from them.
Victoria’s 50 community legal centres have launched the sector’s 2026 election campaign, Community Legal – We’ve Got Your Back, with a call to all political parties to commit to investing an additional $120 million over the next term of parliament to help give 120,000 more Victorians the help they need.
The campaign is also seeking five-year funding agreements for all existing community legal programs to ensure certainty for providers and help deliver consistent, accessible services across the state.
