Special Projects

 Family Law to Family Violence Continuity of Service Delivery

Peninsula Community Legal Centre Inc. has received funding from Victoria Legal Aid to conduct the Family Law to Family Violence Continuity of Service Delivery Pilot. This two year pilot will enable PCLC to provide ongoing  family  law casework services for separating parties, particularly parents who are applicants or respondents to Family Violence Intervention Order matters at the Magistrates’ Court/s.  Family Law Duty services will be provided at the Magistrates Court to assist clients to navigate the family law system with issues such as children and property matters with continuing support provided through family dispute resolution or at the Commonwealth family law courts. Services will be targeted to priority clients in accordance with VLA guidelines.

In addition PCLC will provide advice and information services, referrals , community legal education, community development and law reform activities.

Integrating Legal Services into the school communities of vulnerable and disadvantaged suburbs

Integrating legal services into the school communities of vulnerable and disadvantaged suburbs is a innovative project funded by the Ian Potter Foundation. The Foundation is  one of Australia’s major philanthropic foundations. The Foundation makes grants nationally to support charitable organisations working to benefit the community across a wide range of sectors including the Arts, environment, science, medical research, education and community wellbeing. The Ian Potter Foundation aims to support and promote a healthy, vibrant and fair community for the benefit of all Australians.  This 12 month pilot will support PCLC to design , implement and evaluate a on-site legal service in two Frankston North primary schools targeting  vulnerable and  disadvantaged family members. A  range of legal education activities will also be developed and delivered to the secondary school students and families of Frankston North to improve understanding of legal issues and increase engagement with the legal assistance sector.

Work and Development Permit (WDP) Scheme

Peninsula Community Legal Centre (PCLC) has received funding from the Victorian Legal Services Board Grants Program to integrate the Work and Development Permit (WDP) Scheme into Melbourne’s southern region.

The WDP Scheme is part of a new Victorian government initiative that provides vulnerable clients with a new way to deal with their infringement debt.

Fines have become a serious issue, particularly in Melbourne’s southern region, with the average infringement client presenting with more than $11,000 in fine debt.  However, we believe the WDP has the potential to change this.

Our two year project aims to:-

• Educate clients and health and community providers about the WDP Scheme;
• Identify issues and barriers for clients and health and community providers associated with the WDP Scheme;
• Develop a network of WDP sponsors in Melbourne’s southern region for PCLC to refer its clients to; and
• Advocate for legislative and policy reform for a more just infringement system.

If you are interested in becoming a WDP sponsor or would like to find a potential sponsor, contact our Project Worker, Laura Sanderson via email on lsanderson@pclc.org.au or phone (03) 9784 4225.

Laura can answer any further questions you have and can send you PCLC’s ‘WDP Information Package’.

Download our WDP Resource & Information material