We need to close the gap, not make it bigger

The loss of the ALS office just another service that has been lost, or ceased to exist for the Valley's indigenous community, writes columnist Janelle Brown

Janelle Brown - leaving Gurehlgam. Picture: Adam Hourigan

AS HAS been reported widely in the media, in the past few months the Aboriginal Legal Service's regional office, which had been based in Grafton since 2006, has now relocated to Coffs Harbour.

What few people realise though, is the Grafton ALS office had been slowly downgraded of service provision over time.

At one point, Grafton was the regional office for the ALS's Northern region and oversaw eight local ALS offices.

The service reduction of the ALS Grafton office began several years ago with its Care and Protection team, which deals with Family and Community Service cases, relocating to Lismore.

About 2016, the Civil Law Aboriginal field officer position was also relocated to Lismore. This worker helped the Aboriginal community with issues such as fines, debts, community education legal programs, discrimination matters and housing issues.

This relocation was despite the Lismore community already having full-time access to civil law support, through a Legal Aid Office and a community legal centre.

Community members can still access the service in Lismore. However, because the service is no longer in Grafton, the community no longer have easy face-to-face access and are often not aware that the service still exists.

The principal legal officer's position for Northern Region was also relocated to Sydney.

Now the Grafton office has been closed, although the ALS advise that a service will still be provided to the Clarence Valley by outreach one day per week. It has been strongly argued that the level of service provision to the Clarence Valley will be adversely affected by this move.

This recent loss of the ALS office is unfortunately another service catering to the Aboriginal community in the Clarence Valley that over recent years has been relocated or has ceased to exist altogether. Most of these services/positions have been in the law and justice area.

This includes one of the two Aboriginal liaison officers' positions with police, which was relocated to another area in NSW around 2015. The position loss was despite the Clarence Valley a couple of years earlier, having the worst crime rates in the state.

Another service , the Indigenous Community Links, an information and referral service managed by Gurehlgam, closed shop in 2016, due to lack of ongoing funding. This was despite providing a supportive service to many Aboriginal people in the Clarence Valley.

The latest casualty, is the removal of a position based at Grafton Courthouse, that oversaw the What's Your Plan? program, designed to increase compliance with apprehended domestic violence orders among Aboriginal defendants.

It makes one wonder why this erosion of services and where it will all end?

The Clarence Valley has been described as the "gap in the map” in relation to service provision. We need this gap to close, not get wider!

Yes, it is acknowledged, that there have been many new community services, such as Headspace and PCYC, that have commenced in the Valley in the past two years or so. All of these being much needed services, however, it is vitally important we retain existing services too.

On another note, I want to put out a massive thank you and a big shout out to all the individuals and organisations who helped us to raise funds for the late Terry O'Driscoll's family, including Jo and Dean from the Healing Centre, Roz Kennedy and Jannay Daley, the GI Hotel and all who donated prizes and supported our fundraising activities.

Giinagay Jinggiwahla ("hello” in our first nation languages) is a weekly column covering the indigenous communitities of the Clarence Valley and exploring a variety of topics, opinions and events across our First Nation areas of Bundalung, Yaegl and Gumbaynggir.

Originally published as We need to close the gap, not make it bigger