General News
25 April, 2024
Funds for local legal service and human rights organisation
In a bid to bolster local support services, ARC Justice has received $1 million in funding from the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner (VLSB+C) to provide climate justice services. ARC Justice is a human rights organisation based in...
In a bid to bolster local support services, ARC Justice has received $1 million in funding from the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner (VLSB+C) to provide climate justice services.
ARC Justice is a human rights organisation based in central and northern Victoria covering 13 Local Government areas including the Central Goldfields, Mount Alexander and Loddon through their Loddon Campaspe Community Legal Centre (LCCLC).
ARC Justice director of strategy and impact Kate Clohesy said the grant will allow the organisation to help locals through the challenges of an evolving climate.
“We have been recognising that climate change has already been impacting how we live in our communities,” she said.
“You just have to look at the extreme weather events like flooding in Carisbrook, we have all experienced the rain downpours that are carrying more water than they ever have before — in some areas we had bushfires and floods basically in a week.
“Its about building those relationships so that communities are stronger and better prepared legally for the impact that the change in climate is already having on them.
“[This grant] gives us the capacity to build our expertise in this area and to be a strong voice for these regional communities.”
The development of ARC Justice’s climate services began in the wake of the 2022 Victorian flood disaster.
In January this year, an inquiry by the House of Representatives’ Standing Committee on Economics into insurers’ response to insurance claims after floods across Australia in 2022 was issued and remains ongoing.
Individuals and communities affected by the floods are encouraged to complete an online survey by July 31, with the committee set to hand down its report by September 30.
According to Ms Clohesy, her organisation’s guidance will ensure locals will not suffer from what she sees as inaction by insurance companies.
“We are recognising that climate change is not felt fairly across the community, it happens where homes become uninsurable so how does that change the make up of our communities,” she said.
“There is a lot of work like us supporting flood recovery hubs or providing information to people on how to deal with their insurance companies so that people are not at the mercy of some of those insurers decisions down the track.
“We appeared before the inquiry into insurance responsibility to these claims in order to try and make the system fairer and make insurers more accountable to their policy holders and to the community.”
ARC Justice listed 12 recommendationsas part of their submission, stating insurers should expand their qualified assessors and other necessary workforces, provide an explanation for denying a claim, and adhere to a policy holder’s preferred communication mode during a claim process.
The LCCLC has provided local legal, health and social support for Central Goldfields residents for nearly 20 years, with an office located in the Maryborough District Health Service community service wing.
Ms Clohesy encourages residents to use their vast local legal services.
“People can have in-person or phone appointments about their issues across a whole range of areas of law,” she said.
“Tenancy is a big one as with the current housing crisis, it is making tenants more at the mercy of tricky laws and difficult financial situations.
“We also provide free legal help to people who might need to access advice for court, particularly around family violence.”
The VLSB+C has allocated $7 million to eight community organisations through their Strong Foundations grant program.
VLSB+C’s CEO and commissioner Fiona McLeay said the independent statutory authorities broader grant program, which has awarded 217 grants totalling $66.5 million since 2007, aims to improve community access to needed support.
“Strong Foundations grants are about building a solid base and creating the infrastructure that’s needed to run a community legal organisation effectively — and keep it running, even when there are significant stressors and circumstances change,” she said.
“Victorians need this stability more than ever as they grapple with social and financial pressures and increasing legal complexity.
“These are generous grants to community legal centres that we know and trust to deliver quality legal services to Victorians.”