The extra $4 million allocated to top up Community Law Centre funding in the Government's 2011 Budget will help keep the Blenheim branch running until next year.
Blenheim Community Law Centre manager Gordon Strang said the cash injection for the 2011-12 financial year would give the centre some security until the next Budget.
The centres are mainly funded from interest earned on solicitors' trust accounts held on behalf of their clients, but a slow housing market and low interest rates over the last several years has diminished the funds available.
Community Law Centres dispense free legal advice to whoever needs it.
Mr Strang said the Justice Ministry had hinted in the past few months that the Government would move to top up the fund, and he was glad that had eventuated. The cash in the national fund had already been spent so no new money was available, he said.
There was "slight anxiety" that the proportion of funding for the centres around the country would change, but the chances were small, he said.
The Blenheim centre and four others received the same amount of funding last year as the year before, he said.
Mr Strang was grateful Justice Minister Simon Power had delivered consistent funding.
However, with Mr Power retiring from politics at this year's election, it was uncertain his replacement would share the same interest, he said.
In 2009-10, the national network helped more than 220,000 people.
- The Marlborough Express
SIMON WONG
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