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Tuesday 27 February 2024
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Heart attack survivor’s story DUNCAN Rodger suffered a heart attack last September which nearly killed him. Thanks to the efforts of his wife Kim and attending paramedics, he survived. Last week he reunited with the emergency workers who helped save him at Ballam Park. See story page 5. Picture: Gary Sissons
Free legal service faces ‘funding crisis’ Brodie Cowburn brodie@baysidenews.com.au THE Peninsula Community Legal Centre in Frankston says it will have to cut some of its free services if its government funding doesn’t increase. The PCLC offers free legal services and advice to people across many areas, including housing, family
arrangements, employment, health, finances, and personal safety. PCLC CEO Jackie Galloway says that the centre is helping more people than ever in the midst of the cost of living crisis, and that increased funding is badly needed. “With so many struggling with the cost of living and housing crises, we are seeing an unprecedented number of people who are buckling under the
weight of their legal problems coming to us for help,” Galloway said. “Just at the time when the community needs us the most, we are facing a funding crisis and cannot meet this unprecedented demand for our services. Both the federal and state governments need to take action to increase our funding this year or we will be at risk of having to cut programs and staff to address the funding shortfall.”
The PCLC estimates that a quarter of its clients reside within the federal electorate of Dunkley. A little more than 70 per cent of them are financially disadvantaged, and one third are living with a disability or mental health issue. With the Dunkley by-election looming on 2 March, The Times asked major party candidates Jodie Belyea and Nathan Conroy if they planned
to advocate for more funding for the PCLC if elected - neither responded before publication deadline. Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke was also contacted for comment. Galloway says that more than half of the PCLC’s work in the last six months was in the family law field. Continued page 6