National Regional, Rural, Remote and Very Remote Community Legal Network (4Rs Network)
About the network
The 4Rs Network is a network of non-profit legal services in 4Rs areas which provide legal and related assistance via an incorporated non-profit structure or auspicing arrangement.
The 4Rs Network’s services are based in and/or service localities within four of the five classes of remoteness including:
- Inner regional Australia
- Outer regional Australia
- Remote Australia
- Very remote Australia
The 4Rs Network members work with and for their communities and regions. Their methods and programs often reflect deep understanding and long-term efforts to address important community needs. Their programs, services and advocacy often reflect involvement in community issues that have not been addressed by other means, including by local, state, or federal governments.
The 4Rs Network builds on a significant history of community legal centre-based networking from the mid 1990s seeking to address the specific and nuanced legal needs and rights of regional, rural, remote and very remote communities and thereby increase the wellbeing those living within them.
The 4Rs Network is convened by Judy Harrison and Cheryll Rosales and meets by Zoom on the first Wednesday of each month; supporters are encouraged to join, connect and assist. You can contact the convenors via info@clcs.org.au.
Inclusion of submissions on this page does not indicate endorsement by Community Legal Centres Australia. Where the national peak endorses a submission, this will be indicated within the individual submission being endorsed.
4Rs Legal Assistance Report Card – Guiding and assessing progress
November 2024
In September 2024 the 4Rs Network wrote to all Attorneys-General about funding and other changes for proper access to legal assistance services in 4Rs areas. This should be reflected in immediate improvements and inclusion in the next national agreement to replace the National Legal Assistance Partnership Agreement before 1 July 2025.4Rs Legal Assistance Report Card
The 4Rs Legal Assistance Report Card and a backgrounder were included in the letter. The Report Card is a one-page summary of what progress will look like.
You can use and promote the Report Card. Organisations and networks can also publicly endorse by emailing the 4Rs Network, 4rscommunitylegalnetwork@gmail.com. Many organisations have already endorsed the Report Card
Submissions
Northern Australia Workforce Development
November 2024
The 4Rs submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia Inquiry into Northern Australia Workforce Development has been published by the Committee, as submission No. 83. The submission relates to legal assistance workforce development in Northern Australia and outlines why many specific initiatives are needed, including roles and opportunities for stakeholders and collaborators in the rest of Australia (‘ROA’).
Independent review of the Human Rights Act (QLD)
June 2024
The 4Rs Network submission to Queensland’s Independent review of the Human Rights Act related to the part of the terms of reference which require consideration of “whether additional human rights should be considered as human rights under the Act”. The 4Rs submission urged visible inclusion of the human rights of people in regional, rural, remote and very remote areas.
Getting the NDIS Back on Track Bill
May 2024
The 4Rs submission to the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) Bill 2024 inquiry by the Community Affairs Legislation Committee endorsed concerns about the Bill raised by the Disability Advocacy Network Australia and concerns raised by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre’s Explainer.
Human rights and compulsory income management
May 2024
The 4Rs submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights inquiry into compulsory income management supported the Economic Justice Australia and Accountable Income Management Network submissions and called for social security legislation to visibly refer to the human rights of First Nations people and people in 4Rs areas.
Committee report, September 2024
NDIS standing committee submission
March 2024
The Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme is tasked with inquiring into the implementation of the NDIS. In October 2023 the Committee began an inquiry into NDIS participant experience in rural, regional and remote Australia. This 4Rs Network submission to the inquiry notes that people with disability are highly represented among clients of 4Rs community based legal services, but levels of access to these services is inadequate. The submission called for a range of measures to better respond to the unmet support, advocacy and legal needs of people with disability.
Consensus on addressing unmet legal needs in regional, rural, remote and very remote areas
February 2024
CLCs Australia profiled the 4Rs Network in this piece about consensus relating to unmet legal needs in many submissions to the NLAP Review.
Pre-budget submission 2024–25
January 2024
Recent media coverage has focused on the critical lack of access to lawyers in Alice Springs for Aboriginal people in criminal proceedings because of unfilled positions. But legal workforce problems are not limited to Alice Springs. The issues are much larger, as reflected in the number of unfilled positions in many high needs areas in 4Rs Australia. Lack of a national 4Rs legal workforce plan must be addressed. Staff shortages are occurring against a backdrop of major underfunding of non-profit legal services in 4Rs Australia. The Network has proposed doubling the level of funding to Aboriginal Community-Controlled and other community-based non-profit legal services in 4Rs areas, reflecting the dramatic shortfalls.
Submission to the NLAP review
October 2023
In its submission to the review of NLAP (the principal funding instrument for the community legal sector), the 4Rs Network calls for an Access to Justice Strategy and Action Plan, increased finding and capacity across multiple portfolios to respond to the needs of 4R areas, the elimination of bias against 4R areas in the current NLAP and the establishment of standards for access to legal assistance.
Robodebt Royal Commission submission
February 2023
Despite the scale and impacts of Robodebt and the level of inquiry and analysis, the full legal, social and political geography of Robodebt is yet to be reflected and analysed in 4Rs areas. The Robodebt fiasco demonstrates intense siloing of social security portfolio interests at the ministerial and departmental levels, and highlights the profound lack of social security legal help for people in 4R areas.
Pre-budget submission 2023–24
January 2023
The 4Rs pre-budget submission called for a National 4Rs Access to Justice Strategy and Action Plan, increased funding for community based 4Rs legal services reflecting costs and unmet needs, and a range of other measures.
