Women’s Legal Service Tasmania and Equality Tasmania say they are delighted with Friday’s announcement of the establishment of a legal and social services pilot for Tasmania’s LGBTQIA+ community.
The $200,000 pilot is one of 27 initiatives funded through $6.1 million in grants for projects to enhance access to justice, supported through the latest round of the Solicitors’ Guarantee Fund and announced by Tasmanian Attorney-General Guy Barnett.
Auspiced by Women’s Legal Service Tasmania, the pilot will see a lawyer and a peer justice navigator placed in an LGBTIQA+ community organisation, like Equality Tasmania.
The lobby group Equality Tasmania says that until relatively recently, criminal, family and marriage laws discriminated against LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians. Although that has changed, one legacy is that LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians continue to experience higher rates of hate-motivated harassment, discrimination, and prejudice, often impacting their housing security, workplace safety, and access to necessary services.
The legacy of past Tasmanian laws and the barriers they face has resulted in a deep mistrust of legal services in a population who desperately needs them. It is critical that we not only address the unmet legal need of this population, but that we work to build their trust in the legal system.
As well as meeting urgent community needs, the partnership between WLST and ET will improve the quality and range of services provided to the public, build capacity in the legal sector to deal with LGBTIQA+ issues, and contribute to cultural change to make Tasmania safer for all Tasmanians.
WLST and ET thank the Solicitors Guarantee Fund for the funding, the state Liberal Government for approving the funding and making specialist LGBTIQA+ legal services possible, and the other major parties and members of the cross-bench who have endorsed the proposal.
Rodney Croome on behalf of Equality Tasmania said those experiencing the most discrimination needed dedicated support.
“Too many LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians still experience discrimination at work, harassment from neighbours, hate crimes and other disadvantages requiring specialist legal support.
“Many LGBTIQA+ people in need come to Equality Tasmania seeking legal support and referrals which we do our best to provide, but this has shown us that what is really required are dedicated legal services like those that operate in some other states.”
“We thank the Solicitors Guarantee Fund, the State Government and everyone who has supported this important initiative.” Croome said.
Yvette Cehtel, CEO of WLST said she was delighted with the announcement.
“We are delighted to be able to support the LGBTIQA+ community in Tasmania through auspicing a specialist legal program to support their communities in Tasmania.
“This initiative encapsulates our service values and enables us to collaborate to bring legal services to those in our community who have not felt welcome in existing legal services and spaces.
“The program is aimed at providing legal services in LGBTIQA+ organisations where the community already feel safe. It demonstrates our organisational commitment to partnering to meet unmet legal need.”
Research has shown that 6 in 10 LGBTIQA+ people will experience at at least one legal problem, double the national average.
Their needs are often complex and specific, requiring a specialist legal response that considers circumstances such as poverty, low literacy, mental ill-health, disability, or social isolation. Living in a rural or regional area of Tasmania adds further barriers, such as long travel distances and little local expertise.
In November 2025 Sydney’s Inner City Legal Service pleaded with NSW Premier Chris Minns to expand their funding to support people from outside the inner city area.
Victoria and Queensland have specific services for LGBTIQA+ people, while Western Australia currently has even more limited support for people in need.
