This proposal consists of 2 components.

Component 1 would provide additional Australian Government funding for legal assistance providers: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, Legal Aid Commissions, community legal centres, and women’s legal services.

The current contribution of Australian Government funding would be doubled and an additional $310 million per year would also be provided, indexed to the consumer price index. The proposal would start on 1 July 2022 and end on 30 June 2025 when the National Legal Assistance Partnership 2020-25 agreement ends.

Component 2 would establish an ongoing Environment and Heritage Legal Defence Fund from 1 July 2022. Funding would be double the 2021-22 Budget funding of the Expensive Commonwealth Criminal Cases Fund (ECCCF) and be indexed to the relevant wage cost index (WCI).