Aboriginal Legal Access and CLCs

1. Aboriginal Legal Access and CLCs CCLCG State Conference 2008 Renee Williamson, CCLCG Aboriginal Legal Access Program (ALAP) Coordinator

2. Background • In December 2006 CCLCG received funding from the Public Purposes Fund (PPF) to run 2 state-wide programs for NSW community legal centres: • CCLCG Training Program • CCLCG Aboriginal Legal Access Program (ALAP) • The overall aim of these two program is to increase the access of economically and socially disadvantaged people in NSW to CLCs and to the wider legal sector, and will substantially improve the services provided by CLCs to its clients and communities. • The need for the two programs was identified in the Report of the Joint Commonwealth/NSW Review of Community Legal Centres. • Each program has two key components: • The employment of a worker at CCLCG State Office to implement each program • Funds to allow CCLCG to support individual CLCs to access the programs and/or to implement projects within their own communities under the programs.

3. Review Report Recommendations - ALAP The State Office of the CCLCG be funded to undertake an Indigenous Access project to: • Identify and promote good practice in provision of legal services to Indigenous people and communities by CLCs • Assist CLCs individually and collectively to obtain funding • Provide secretarial and logistical support to the CCLCG Aboriginal Advisory Group (AAG). • Assist centres to conduct a formal assessment of the accessibility to Indigenous clients of their existing services • Assist CLCs to develop services for Indigenous clients.

4. What is the ALAP? A state-wide program which aims to: • Enable better access by Aboriginal people to legal services; • Increase the numbers of Aboriginal people receiving legal services; • Improve and enhance the capacity of CLCs to provide effective and culturally appropriate services to Aboriginal people; • Increase awareness among Aboriginal people of their legal rights and the legal services available to them.

5. Rationale • The legal needs of Aboriginal people are high and are not being adequately met by currently available services. • The social and economic disadvantage in Aboriginal communities is compounded by a lack of awareness of available legal services. • Many Aboriginal communities still are unaware of the existence of CLCs and do not understand that CLCs are able to offer assistance. • Many CLCs need a better understanding of ways to improve access of their services to Aboriginal people. • There are several positive initiatives among CLCs that require ongoing funding to continue to deliver accessible services for Aboriginal clients.

6. Strategies • Collecting information on current CLC services for Aboriginal clients and on the level of service currently provided by CLCs to Aboriginal clients; • Providing funds, through a transparent and fair grants scheme, to individual CLCs within NSW to support or develop projects aimed at improving the access of Aboriginal people to CLCs and to legal services more generally; • Assisting CLCs to obtain other sources of funding for projects which improve access of Aboriginal people to the law; • Focussing on forming two-way links between CLCs and Aboriginal communities so that Aboriginal people know what their legal rights are and where to get legal assistance. • Legal advice, community legal education and consultation for law reform will also all be integral aspects of the Program.

7. ALAP - Steering Committee 5 members: • 1 CCLCG Board member • 2 AAG representatives (including the AAG Convenor) • 2 external community organisation members (Aboriginal identified; 1 from rural NSW and 1 from Sydney) Terms of Reference • Oversee the management of the CCLCG ALAP Program and reporting to the CCLCG Board on its progress • Advise the CCLCG Director/ALAP Coordinator on all aspects of implementing the CCLCG ALAP • Comprise the grants panel and make recommendations on the disbursements of ALAP grants to the CCLCG Board

8. The ALAP Grants Scheme A key component of the ALAP is the ALAP Grants Scheme. • Grant Scheme A – Long-Term Ongoing Programs: • To support CLCs with established long term Aboriginal Legal Access programs that propose to continue to operate but are threatened by funding cuts. • Grant Scheme B – Large and Small Project Grants: • To support the continuation of existing projects, or new aspects of existing projects (including the review and evaluation of current programs/projects). • To support CLCs to identify and develop new initiatives for improving Aboriginal peoples access to legal services within their area. • To support CLCs to respond to urgent arising needs relating to Aboriginal peoples access to legal services within their area. • Total grants funds available over both categories: • Under the ALAP Grants Scheme a total of $310,000 was available for 2007/2008, all of which must be expended by June 2008.

9. Successful Grants - Rd 1

10. Successful Grants - Rd 2

11. ALAP - Achievements • Grants Scheme • Support to AAG • Cultural Awareness Training (Training Program) • Working with the justice sector - NLAF Working Group on Aboriginal Civil Law Needs • State Conference • Data Collection - CLSIS • ADA Exemption • Support to individual CLCs

12. Aboriginal Legal Access Programs in CLCs • Kingsford Legal Centre • Northern Rivers CLC • Hawkesbury Nepean CLC • Environmental Defenders Office