$680,000 funding to Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre

A $680,000 government cash injection for Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre will relieve exhausted workers and help deliver essential legal assistance to flood victims. Read how.

NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman has announced Federal government funding of $5.45 million for flood recovery assistance for legal assistance services in NSW and Qld as part of his visit to Lismore on Tuesday.

NSW will receive $3.3 million of this total amount which will be allocated and announced to Legal Aid and other community legal services shortly.

“I am delighted to announce today that $680,000 of that money will be the first instalment and will be going to the Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre.”

He said the Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre plays a vital role in supporting the regions most vulnerable and the $680,000 will be used to deliver critical legal services to people recovering from the flood crisis.

NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman agrees with Lismore MP Janelle Saffin the funding will assist the regions most vulnerable. Picture Cath Piltz

“The lawyers in the Northern Rivers have often been the victims themselves,” Mr Speakman said, “not only escaping the floods themselves but they have to deal with the trauma from their clients … and that trauma wears off on people, you turn up every day but your clients problems don’t seem resolved, it’s like a never-ending spiral and that does take a toll.

“They are exhausted.”

He said that it is the dedication to the interests of their clients that keeps them going, not huge salaries.

As the region recovers Mr Speakman said that if the communities can nip legal problems in the bud then issues such as criminal justice, housing, homelessness, and mental health problems can be stopped from getting out of control.

“We need to help the most vulnerable and the most vulnerable are often those who are going to legal aid and community legal services.”

Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre Manager Nicole Jenkins said the funding is incredible.

“Our staff were flood impacted,” she said, ‘yet they were up and about conscious of the community, cleaning up their own homes but getting straight back into work to make sure they can support the community moving forward.

“We’ve had staff directly impacted yet everyone has been impacted in the community.

“We were impacted ourselves, we lost offices that were flooded, so we understand what businesses are going through.”

Ms Jenkins said that this money will go a long way in ensuring that they can offer dedicated services to those in need in the community.

Executive Director of Community Legal Centres NSW, Tim Leach, said the NRCLC office sustained extensive damage during the Lismore floods, with significant damage to premises and equipment destroyed.

“Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre are doing a fantastic job for really traumatised communities as they try and respond to the recent floods.

“This funding will help the centre to deliver the extra services that are required such as domestic and family violence issues, tenancy issues and generalist legal advice arising from the floods.

Mr Leach said that the funding will also allow the centre to build in community social work supports.

“We have found out that if we attach social work supports to legal assistance that’s the best way to deliver the help.”

Mr Leach said that there are leads on new property but in the short term legal services remain at Southern Cross University in Lismore.