Login
Legal service defends relocation decision
An Australian legal service organisation has clarified its reasoning in deciding to relocate its hub from the Clarence Valley area, following questions about the move.
Emma Musgrave
Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) has released a statement, saying that its opening of an office in Coffs Harbour will not affect the current service delivery of the organisation and it will continue to provide services to Grafton and Maclean Court and the community at large.
“We reiterate that the ALS will continue to provide culturally-appropriate legal and support services to people in the Clarence Valley area, that won’t change.
“... We obviously recognise people’s questions about our service delivery model in the Clarence Valley area and we appreciate that change is often difficult; however, the challenge the ALS is facing is ongoing funding constraints, which means that we must focus on areas where there’s increased demand for our services. The local ALP candidate for Page, Patrick Deegan, acknowledged this recently when he spoke of the ALS operating on ‘tight budget’ with ‘limited resources’ in the Northern Region.”
Mr Smith noted that new location at the Coffs Harbour Justice Precinct is the largest in regional NSW, boasting five courtrooms with each installing video conference technology, enabling it to screen bail applications made from correctional centres and evidence from off-site witnesses.
“Coffs Harbour Court today is extremely busy and has full-time sittings which include a mix of Local and specialised Children’s Court matters. It’s become the ‘hub’ for the region’s court and legal services, with Family and Community Services also having their main operations in Coffs Harbour,” Mr Smith added.
“Strategically, ALS must work in areas like Coffs Harbour where demands for our legal and support services are critical. The relocation of the ALS office will meet the increased local demand at Coffs Harbour and is the most economically viable use of existing resources. Therefore, the ALS Board have made the decision to establish the ALS office in Coffs Harbour.”
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.
Email Emma on:
