A legal service planned for Werribee Mercy Hospital’s antenatal clinic is in desperate need of funding to get under way.
The Western Community Legal Centre (WCLC) and Mercy Hospital have made an in-principle agreement to implement the service in Werribee and have it operating by Christmas.
WCLC chief executive Denis Nelthorpe said a range of studies showed pregnant women were often victims of family violence.
“We’ve looked at family violence and the notion of early intervention,” he said. “State and federal governments need to change their thinking from providing duty lawyers when the problem has reached the last port to providing more funding for services in hospitals or other venues to achieve early intervention.”
Mr Nelthorpe said the service would ideally run three days a week, but more funding would be required for an on-call service.
“Intervening at an earlier stage can save huge amounts of money before matters get to court,” Mr Nelthorpe said.
“It’s time to get on with it.”
The proposed service has received support from Lalor MP Joanne Ryan.
She wrote to Attorney-General George Brandis last week, expressing her disappointment that the service was not allocated funds in the federal government’s recent announcement of $15 million for legal services for victims of domestic violence.
“I know local council, police and support services agree there is an urgent need to fund this service,” Ms Ryan wrote.
“As this service is ‘shovel ready’, I urge you to consider any possibility of supporting this service through the new funding arrangements announced recently.”
