Free legal help available for First Nations people in NSW Western Plains

A team of First Nations lawyers will be offering free legal advice over common issues like fines, debt and housing at upcoming events in Bourke, Brewarrina and Enngonia.  

Legal Aid NSW’s Civil Law Service for Aboriginal Communities (CLSAC) and Family Law Service for Aboriginal Communities (FamAC) will be visiting Brewarrina, Enngonia and Bourke this week to help with a range of civil law issues including housing, Centrelink, NDIS, employment and more and family law issues such as separation and child custody. 

The team – comprising lawyers, social workers and financial counsellors, travel thousands of kilometres each year to provide free legal and non-legal assistance across the state with issues like complaints about government, ID issues, consumer or contract issues and financial hardship. 

Sue Phillips, Community Engagement Manager, said fines were a common issue in the region. 

“We see a large number who have accrued significant fines debt and are struggling to pay this debt. We can often help these people with a payment plan, write off or to work off their debt through various activities through a Work and Development Order." 

Ms Philips said many people were seeking help with predatory finance companies offering very high interest loans to vulnerable people, often described as ‘loan sharks.’ 

“A common issue we see in remote First Nations communities particularly in the Far West is companies offering solar panel financing with very high interest rates and people struggling to make the repayments,” she said.  

The earlier people seek legal advice for issues related to housing, fines, Centrelink or other issues like employment, the better the outcome.