New Legal Aid office for south-west Sydney to meet rising demand

Monday 30 October 2023

People in Sydney's south-west will have greater access to justice with a larger, better equipped Legal Aid NSW office in Campbelltown, a move designed to meet projected higher demand.

The new, bigger office, relocated to 63 Queen Street Campbelltown after more than two decades at 171 Queen Street, has capacity to accommodate anticipated staff expansion.

Campbelltown City Council forecasts the region’s population will grow from 183,000 to 274,782 people by 2041. This growth in population is likely to come with growing demand for legal help.

In the 2022-23 financial year, Campbelltown Legal Aid NSW provided 20 per cent more services compared with the previous year.

The office has expanded considerably over time, starting with six staff in 1989 and now has 40 staff covering civil, family and criminal law work.

Early access to legal assistance is crucial to ensuring simple legal issues don’t escalate.

The Campbelltown office can be contacted via Law Access NSW on 1300 888 529.

Acting Solicitor in Charge of Campbelltown Legal Aid NSW Mark Dickha said:

“Many clients in this region struggle with legal issues that impact on their daily lives such as housing and debt-related issues.”

“Our office can help people experiencing legal problems including tenancy, mortgage repayments, employment issues, unpaid fines, and criminal law and family law matters. As more people move to the region, demand for help with these types of issues will undoubtedly increase.”

Legal Aid NSW CEO Monique Hitter said:

“This relocation will ensure that we can continue to accommodate the legal needs of Sydney’s rapidly expanding south-west.”

“Access to legal help is essential to prevent small problems from becoming bigger ones and turning into other issues like homelessness or mental health problems.”

NSW Attorney General Michael Daley said:

“South-western Sydney’s need for legal support is only increasing. Ready access to this expanded Legal Aid office, with its team of dedicated professionals, will help improve outcomes for people experiencing difficulties and problems in this growing region.”