Pro bono legal help for Local Aboriginal Land Councils

20 February 2017

The NSW Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC) and Justice Connect have joined forces to fund a lawyer who will provide legal support and training for the State's network of 120 Local Aboriginal Land Councils (LALCs).

Under the two-year pilot project, NSWALC has committed $120,000 per year and will partner with Justice Connect to provide LALCs with legal assistance.

Some of the areas of law LALCs can expect assistance with include property, employment, work health and safety and environment.

NSWALC Chair Roy Ah-See said the partnership would provide LALCs with increased knowledge and confidence about compliance and enhancing skills to manage legal and governance requirements.

"As a result, LALCs can make better use of their time and resources to effectively assist community members and further build their economic self-reliance.

"NSWALC is excited by this opportunity for LALCs to partner with and receive advice from top-tier law firms.

"In every community in New South Wales, there's a Local Aboriginal Land Council which places the Land Rights network in a strong position to partner with organisations like Justice Connect to deliver essential services.

"Many Local Aboriginal Land Councils are located in regional, rural and remote locations where the unmet needs are the greatest."

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Media contact: Andrew Williams 0429 585 291