The Board and Staff of Comm Unity Plus Services Ltd (commUnity+) congratulates the Andrews Government on its latest budget – addressing funding needs to save lives through increased family violence funding and building better lives for disadvantaged Victorian through its initiatives on jobs.
The Victorian Government has demonstrated its commitment to the Royal Commission into Family Violence recommendations with real action and resources ($1.9b). We welcome the additional funding for initiatives around crises support, safety hubs, housing, and workforce development
commUnity+ hosts the Brimbank Melton Community Legal Centre and is pleased to see the $269.4m commitment to enhancing the legal system response to family violence.
“The Brimbank Melton Community Legal Centre provides family violence legal services in Brimbank, Melton, and Bacchus Marsh,” said commUnity+ CEO, Rachna Muddagouni. “We hope to be able to maintain and extend this work through this increase in funding. It is fantastic to have the hard work of our lawyers, and their crucial role in making victim survivors safe recognised in this way.”
The Andrews Government has also committed to increased funding ($29.5 m) for general community legal centre services and an increase in Legal Aid funding to meet the overwhelming demand for these services by disadvantaged Victorians.
“We can never meet the demand in legal services but at least we have a government who understands how important these services are in quickly addressing legal problems and decreasing the stress they can generate for individuals and families. We also recognise that the $411m set aside for rehabilitation programs and services for prisoners will have positive outcomes in our communities in preventing re-offending and ensuring community safety.”
The initiatives in protection and creating jobs are also warmly welcomed by commUnity+. Infrastructure funding, initiatives around resourcing social enterprises and creating new jobs, and retraining and education opportunities for workers in closing manufacturing sectors are all positive programs that will enhance the economic wellbeing of Victoria and its citizens.
If you have any questions, please contact Rachna Muddagouni on 03 7379 0123.
