Tuesday, 13 August 2024

WEstjustice

Sarah CONNOLLY (Laverton) (13:58): It was a pleasure to be out in Sunshine last week with the Attorney-General for the official opening of WEstjustice’s new offices. As many in this chamber know, WEstjustice is one of the leading community legal centres operating in Melbourne’s west, and as a member in this place I have had the pleasure of interacting with them and their amazing CEO Melissa Hardham for many, many years now. Mel and her team do a fantastic job of assisting people in our community. Whether it is initiatives like their school lawyer program, working with young people through schools to educate them about the legal system and their rights, including at Hester Hornbrook Academy in Sunshine, or assisting vulnerable folks suffering from mortgage stress, the work that WEstjustice is doing is literally saving and improving lives across the western suburbs. Their new offices are located in the same building as Victoria Legal Aid, providing a necessary connection to low-cost and affordable legal services. In addition to their new offices, we were also there for the launch of WEstjustice’s new strategy for 2024 through to 2027, which focuses on helping vulnerable communities receive the targeted legal assistance they need, including financial counselling and social work services – services which are delivered in a way that is culturally safe, trauma informed and inclusive. Not only that, but it also places a strong emphasis on prevention and early intervention so that people do not experience these legal issues in the first place. So I am very happy to welcome Mel and her team at WEstjustice to their new digs in Sunshine, and I look forward to continuing to work with WEstjustice.