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Law Society joins equal opportunity fight for Indigenous community
The Law Society of NSW has joined forces with the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) and NSW Council of Social Services (NCOSS) to urge the state government to address the barriers Aboriginal people face in obtaining and holding a driver licence.
Emma Musgrave
The three bodies have come together in calling on the NSW state government to recognise the need for the barriers to be addressed, noting that statistics reinforce the need for “end to end” support for Aboriginal people trying to obtain a licence.
Furthermore, the statistics show that only 51 per cent of Aboriginal families have access to a motor vehicle compared to over 85 per cent of non-Aboriginal families; 57 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people pass the Driver Knowledge Test (DKT) compared to 74 per cent for other groups in the community; 38 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with a licence have had it disqualified, suspended or cancelled; and 12 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander found guilty of driving offences were jailed, compared to 5 per cent for the general population.
To try and combat the issues, the ALS, NCOSS and the Law Society of NSW have all provided submissions to the Staysafe Inquiry into Driver Education, Training and Road Safety.
They each reiterated that there must be properly resourced programs that are accessible to Indigenous people, including those in rural and remote areas.
“The licensing system in NSW effectively excludes marginalised and disadvantaged people including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly those living in regional and remote areas,” said Law Society of NSW president Pauline Wright.
“Poor literacy skills, lack of money and difficulties in obtaining a birth certificate make it difficult for many Indigenous Australians to complete driving tests. This results in a disproportionate number of Indigenous Australians facing incarceration, penalties and fines for driving offences.
“Having a driver licence can affect the quality of life for people in regional and remote areas where there may be little or no access to public transport. Licence sanctions for unauthorised driving and disqualification periods can have a significant impact that is disproportionate to the offence.”
Ms Wright added that a “continuation and expansion of programs including the Driving Change Program, run in partnership with Indigenous community organisations, and the NSW government’s Driver Licensing Access Program could help to reduce the barriers that prevent Indigenous people from obtaining licences”.
“There are also opportunities to partner with programs including Literacy for Life to support learning,” she said.
“Such programs can lead to greater employment, education and social inclusion.”
Emma Musgrave
Emma Musgrave (née Ryan) is the managing editor, professional services at Momentum Media.
Emma has worked for Momentum Media since 2015, including five years spent as the editor of the company's legal brand - Lawyers Weekly. Throughout her time at Momentum, she has been responsible for breaking some of the biggest stories in corporate Australia. In addition, she has produced exclusive multimedia and event content related to the company's respective brands and audiences.
Prior to joining Momentum Media, Emma worked in breakfast radio, delivering news to the Central West region of NSW, before taking on a radio journalist role at Southern Cross Austereo, based in Townsville, North Queensland.
She holds a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) degree from Charles Sturt University.
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