Australian legal aid at risk of turning people away unless $484m extra funding provided

Commonwealth funding for legal aid has fallen 3% per capita over the past decade, but demand for employment, housing, goods and services has increased, the Justice on the Brink report says. Photograph: Glenn Hunt/AAP

Almost half a billion dollars in extra funding is needed each year to meet demand for legal assistance in Australia, a new report commissioned by National Legal Aid has found.

The Justice on the Brink report found $484m in funding was needed to prevent the threat of “supply failure”, expand the availability of family and civil law services, provide greater access under the means test and increase fees for private lawyers.