NSW Department of Communities and Justice: Launch Timeline for LGBTQIA+ Services Hub

• The New South Wales Department of Communities and Justice has announced a statewide legal service dedicated to LGBTQIA+ matters.
• The service, known as the LGBTQIA+ Services Hub, will provide specialist advice on criminal, family, and civil matters by 2027.
• Funding for the new service is provided through a $3.2m agreement between the federal and state governments over four years.
• The service aims to tackle a gap in NSW's existing legal services and decrease barriers to justice for the LGBTQIA+ community.

The NSW Government is proud to support the establishment of the state’s first dedicated LGBTQIA+ legal service to provide specialist advice and support to the LGBTQIA+ community.

The New South Wales Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) has announced the establishment of a statewide legal service dedicated to LGBTQIA+ matters. The service, known as the LGBTQIA+ Services Hub, will provide specialist advice on criminal, family, and civil matters by 2027. The DCJ expects the new service to be fully operational by then, with funding provided through a $3.2m agreement between the federal and state governments over four years. This investment is aimed at tackling a gap in NSW's existing legal services and decreasing barriers to justice for the LGBTQIA+ community.

The establishment of the LGBTQIA+ Services Hub marks an important step towards increasing access to justice for the LGBTQIA+ community in New South Wales. The service will be run by the Inner City Legal Centre (ICLC), which has a long history of providing legal services to marginalized communities, dating back to its founding on Oxford St, Darlinghurst, in the 1980s. The ICLC's relocation to new premises in the Sydney area is expected to provide clients with wraparound support and a welcoming environment.

The launch of the LGBTQIA+ Services Hub has significant implications for lawyers advising clients in New South Wales. The service will provide specialist advice on a range of matters, including family, domestic, and sexual violence, workplace discrimination, vilification, and harassment. By expanding the ICLC's existing services and outreach to regional and remote areas, the new service aims to address unmet legal need in these communities. As noted by Michael Daley, NSW Attorney General, 'this standalone legal service for the LGBTQIA+ community will significantly expand the Inner City Legal Centre's ability to help vulnerable members of the community access justice.'

Lawyers advising clients in New South Wales should note the upcoming launch of the state's first dedicated LGBTQIA+ legal service, which will provide specialist advice on criminal, family, and civil matters by 2027.

Source: Original reporting via New South Wales Department of Communities and Justice