Sweeping cuts scheduled to hit the Mount Druitt and Area Community Legal Centre will no longer go ahead after local community opposition forced a back down by the Abbott Government.
The Centre was one of the top three NSW based community legal centres at risk to lose their funding.
Federal Member for Chifley Ed Husic who spoke in Federal Parliament objecting to the cuts said continued funding was vital to ensure the Centre could keep providing access to legal advice for local residents.
A big bank account shouldnt be the only way to get crucial legal advice the Mt Druitt and Area Community Legal Centre helps locals get the legal help they need when they need it most, Mr Husic said.
The community outcry over the cuts to the Centres funding has saved this service for the Mount Druitt area.
While this is great news for our local community, the Legal Centre is still at risk since they remain underfunded and are unsure how the Abbott Government will distribute future funding across the states.
Last year, the Productivity Commission on Access to Justice Arrangements recommended that an increase of $200 million needed to be added to the legal assistance sector to keep up with growing demand across Australia.
Under the Abbott Government though, funding still falls short of addressing serious present and future shortfalls in the sector.