Federal Member for Throsby Stephen Jones welcomes the new financial counselling positions created at Illawarra Legal Centre in Warrawong through a $135,629 investment over four years from the Federal Labor Government.

While many Australians enjoy gambling responsibly, for others it has a devastating impact on their lives and the lives of those around them, Mr Jones said.

Its something that affects up to five million Aussies and I know its something that affects a lot of locals, directly and indirectly.

Having additional financial counsellors on the ground in the region will make it easier to help more problem gamblers and their families overcome their addiction and rebuild their lives.

The financial counsellors will work closely with the NSW Government funded gambling help services when they run community outreach, work with gaming venues and make referrals to existing services, including Emergency Relief and microfinance.

The Illawarra is one of fifty locations nationwide sharing in a $22.6 million investment, part of the Federal Labor Governments Financial Management Program.

The Financial Management Program is investing more than $480 million to June 2016 for a range of services aimed at helping people in need overcome immediate financial difficulty, improve their money management skills, and get on the road to greater financial independence and better quality of life.