extra content from participant questions
Hannah
One moment this week stood out. A legal/social work client was stranded in Halls Creek and had no way of getting to her mother’s funeral in the remote community of Balgo. As we were travelling in that direction, she saw us and we were able to give her a lift along the Tanami Road, ensuring she arrived at the cemetery in time to be with her family for Sorry Business. Had we not been passing through, she would likely have missed the funeral altogether. This experience reinforced that working in a remote CLC often extends beyond providing legal advice or structured social work services. Sometimes, the most meaningful support is simply helping a client when they need it most, ensuring they can remain connected to their family, community, and culture during significant moments.
The hardest part of work this week was witnessing the appalling housing conditions in remote communities. It is confronting and, frankly, a national disgrace. Respected Elders who are frail and have limited mobility are being forced from their homes because severe plumbing and electrical faults have made them unsafe to live in. Despite repeated reports, repairs are delayed or poorly completed, with little accountability for substandard work. One elder we spoke to had moved out of her home for five months, waiting for works to be completed and during that time was still paying rent (we will open a file to pursue compensation). Community members are understandably frustrated and have lost confidence in the current maintenance system. Meaningful reform is urgently needed to ensure repairs are timely, of an acceptable standard, and genuinely improve living conditions.
It is also frustrating to see the ongoing impact of chronic under resourcing in the remote communities we support, and the lack of understanding by government and non-government agencies of the barriers faced by our clients. Some communities do not have administrative offices, which means there is no access to basic facilities such as a printer, computer or internet for community members. This creates significant barriers for people trying to deal with legal and administrative matters. Without access to these basic resources, community members often struggle to respond to important correspondence within required timeframes which can delay their matter or put them at risk of adverse outcomes. It is frustrating because these challenges are not due to a lack of willingness or engagement by community members, but rather a lack of essential infrastructure and service flexibility of government and non-government agencies. Clients are sent letters from various government departments asking them to, for example, login to portals, witness documents, or provide written responses. For many clients, English is their second language and many communities lack the support and infrastructure for these clients to complete these tasks. Seeing these systemic barriers continue to affect remote communities in this era is frustrating.
Our job is incredibly varied. Some weeks are filled with court appearances and formal client appointments, other weeks we are on the road trying to find clients at numerous addresses or taking instructions next to a boab tree! No two weeks are the same. I would say this week in Balgo and Billiluna was a little quieter than usual as many community members were out of community for cultural events.
I am passionate about accessibility to justice, which means providing high quality legal services for First Nations people living in remote areas. I also love the bush, camping and living in the gorgeous environment.
It can be difficult to create professional boundaries when you are part of such a small community and are almost guaranteed to bump into clients. You get to know people really well as clients – then you also see them in the only Coles!
The best part of this job is working on the most beautiful Country filled with vast open spaces, red dirt, lush river systems and waterfalls. Working for clients who are deeply connected with the Country, culture and language – and learning so much from them. Providing accessibility to justice for people who otherwise wouldn’t have representation is very rewarding.
Regular outreach to remote communities is essential for access to justice. Many clients would never seek legal help if we did not visit their community. One example is an Elder who approached us after learning his brother had been buried in an indigent grave in Perth. He was devastated and wanted his brother repatriated for a traditional burial on Country so he could rest with his ancestors. After months of advocacy, navigating complex government processes, and resolving disputes over funding, we secured commitments for all exhumation and repatriation costs to be covered. We are now awaiting final approval for exhumation before the funeral can proceed. Because we regularly visit the community, we have been able to keep the family informed throughout this difficult process and support them every step of the way. Moments like this demonstrate the value of long-term relationships, culturally safe outreach, and bringing legal services directly to remote communities.
Marjana
The biggest win this week was undertaking my first solo outreach for LCLC. It provided an opportunity to independently manage client appointments and further develop my confidence in delivering legal services outside the office environment. The experience also gave me a greater appreciation of the barriers faced by clients in regional communities, particularly the impact of distance, limited access to services, and challenges with technology and digital literacy. Observing these issues firsthand reinforced the importance of adapting communication and service delivery to meet clients’ individual needs.
The most surprising part of the week was understanding the practical limitations of police responses in rural areas, including extended response times due to distance and availability of resources. For example, police attendance at a client’s property may take between 45 minutes and one hour following a call-out.
I was drawn to working at LCLC because of the opportunity to improve access to justice and make a meaningful impact within the community. I was also seeking a more purpose-driven legal career, where I could use my skills to support people who may otherwise face barriers to obtaining legal assistance.
The most challenging aspect has been advising clients that we are unable to assist with their matter due to factors such as our areas of specialisation, eligibility requirements, or limited organisational resources. These conversations can be difficult, particularly when clients are experiencing significant stress and are seeking support. However, I am learning to manage expectations in a different manner than in private practice, communicating with empathy, and, where possible, connecting clients with alternative services that may be able to assist.
As I am still very new to this role, the best part so far has been being able to help clients navigate legal issues and reassure them that support is available. Many clients come to us feeling overwhelmed or unsure of their options, and it is rewarding to provide practical advice and let them know that we will do our best to assist within our capacity.
I also enjoy empowering clients by giving them the tools and information they need to help themselves and make informed decisions. Whether that involves explaining a legal process, identifying available options, or helping them work towards a solution, it is rewarding to support clients in finding practical pathways forward and achieving positive outcomes.
I also value the opportunity to work closely with a highly experienced and supportive team. Being able to discuss matters with colleagues and collaborate on identifying the best outcome for a client has been invaluable. My colleagues have been pivotal in my development so far, generously sharing their knowledge, guidance, and practical insights, which has greatly assisted my growth and confidence in the role.
Some of the biggest challenges or barriers for people living in regional or remote communities:
Unequal access to essential services
- People living in regional and remote communities often have fewer options for legal assistance, health care, mental health support, housing, transport, education and employment. Long travel distances and limited public transport can make a service effectively inaccessible, even where it does exist.
Lower levels of adult literacy in Tasmania
- The most recent comparable ABS adult-skills data found that approximately 49% of Tasmanian adults were below Level 3 in literacy. This means that lengthy correspondence, complicated forms, unfamiliar terminology/jargon and complex legal or government processes are harder to understand and navigate without additional support.1
Lack of digital literacy and Tasmania’s aging population
- This is increasingly becoming an issue as government, legal, banking and health services move online. Not everyone has reliable internet access, can afford the necessary technology, or feels confident using digital platforms. The 2025 Australian Digital Inclusion Index found that Tasmania had the lowest digital inclusion score of any Australian state or territory, and that people living in more remote areas generally face even greater barriers. This means that for many people, accessing services online is not always as straightforward as it is often assumed to be.2
- Tasmania’s ageing population is another factor in this challenge. In 2021, Tasmania’s median age was 42, compared with 38 nationally. More recent ABS regional data show that the median age outside Greater Hobart was 45.1 and that 45% of people outside Greater Hobart were aged 50 or over. Older people may face mobility, health, transport and digital-confidence barriers, particularly when local face-to-face services are withdrawn.3
- I would also like to note that, in my view, digital access is about much more than owning a phone or having an internet connection. It includes being able to afford reliable access, having a suitable device, knowing how to use online systems safely, and having the literacy and confidence to understand the information being presented. In my view, replacing local services with websites, apps, or automated systems can create additional barriers for people who are already experiencing disadvantage.
Privacy and confidentiality
- I also think privacy and confidentiality can be a challenge in smaller communities, particularly when people are seeking help for family violence, financial hardship, mental health concerns, or legal problems. In many regional areas, there is a perception that everyone knows everyone, which can make people hesitant to reach out for support if they are worried about being recognised or their personal circumstances becoming known in the community. While digital services can help improve access, I do not think they can fully replace the value of local, telephone, and face-to-face support.
I would like people living in cities to understand that regional communities are diverse, capable, and resilient. They are not simply smaller versions of metropolitan communities, and solutions that work well in cities do not always work in regional areas.
One of the strengths of regional communities is the strong sense of connection that people often have with one another. People regularly support their neighbours, family members, and local organisations in meaningful ways. The Legal Literacy Volunteers are a key example of this. However, these strengths should not be used as a reason to overlook gaps in services or expect communities to do more with less. Just because a service is available in Hobart or online does not mean it is genuinely accessible to someone living elsewhere in Tasmania.
I would like politicians to understand that regional communities need sustained, long-term planning. Meaningful change takes time, and new ideas often take time to be understood, accepted, and adopted by the wider community.
It is imperative that communities are consulted when developing solutions and that they understand the benefits of proposed changes before policies or programs are implemented. Genuine consultation helps ensure that initiatives are responsive to local needs and are more likely to succeed in practice.
Funding models must recognise the additional time, travel, and resources required to deliver services across Tasmania. Community legal centres, health services, libraries, neighbourhood houses, and other community organisations need secure, long-term funding so they can retain skilled staff, build trust within communities, and assist people before their circumstances reach crisis point.
Policies must also account for the interaction between literacy, digital exclusion, and Tasmania’s ageing population. Government information should be written in plain English and available through multiple channels. Digital services should be supported by accessible telephone and face-to-face alternatives, particularly where a person’s legal rights, income, housing, health, or safety may be affected.
Demographic planning is also essential. Tasmanian Treasury projects that the state’s median age could increase from 41.9 years in 2023 to 48.8 years by 2053. It also projects that the number of working-age Tasmanians for every person aged 65 or over could fall from three to two, while the proportion of people aged 85 and over could increase from one in every 41 Tasmanians to one in every 15. In my view, these trends highlight the need for deliberate workforce, transport, healthcare, aged care, housing, and community service planning, particularly outside major population centres.
To conclude, people living in regional communities should not receive a lower standard of justice, healthcare, education, or opportunity simply because of where they live. Consultation must be genuine, locally accessible, and followed by visible action. Communities should not be repeatedly asked to identify the same barriers without receiving the resources and structural changes needed to address them.
1. https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/Former_Committees/Employment_Education_and_Training/Adultliteracy/Report/section?id=committees%2freportrep%2f024806%2f77908; and https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/Former_Committees/Employment_Education_and_Training/Adultliteracy/Report/section?id=committees%2freportrep%2f024806%2f77908
2. https://digitalinclusionindex.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/ADII-Report-2025_V6-Remediated.pdf
3. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/regional-population-age-and-sex/latest-release
4. https://www.treasury.tas.gov.au/Documents/TasPOPP%202024%20-%20Tasmanian%20and%20local%20government%20area%20population%20projections%202023%20to%202053%20-%20final%20report.pdf
Tully
The biggest win this week was a civil lawyer deal with a Criminal matter with advice from a criminal lawyer over the phone in the Community Court in Kintore. The hardest part of the week was the wind. The Western Desert wind is very harsh.
The most interesting part of the week was going with one of the female Traditional Owners to a women’s site not far from the community. Collected wood and cooked Kangaroo tails, Sweet Potato and Damper. It was a great experience to our usual day to day activities.
This week was different to usual weeks, and in saying this, every week can look different working remotely. It takes a lot of planning and organising to ensure there are good outcomes. Also very dependant on the time of year and what is happening in community if there is sorry, sports weekend, football etc.
The hardest part about working at a regional/remote community legal centre is that currently there are many new lawyers. There needs to be an investment and incentive to keep lawyers who have gained experience working in Central Australia to remain here and mentor new lawyers. Especially given the complex legal matters some people are entangled with and the prevalence of Domestic Family Violence.
The best part is…I love my job! I work in the Education team and train Health care professional recognising and responding to Domestic Family Violence. My work is based Alice Springs and throughout Central Australia. I enjoy working directly with community members and enjoy the challenges of service delivery in remote communities.
The biggest challenges and barriers for people living in regional/remote communities are:
Access to affordable transport. Access to appropriate services that are equipped to respond to the level of complex trauma people experience. The Northern Territory Response commonly referred to the intervention has absolutely failed people and in my opinion of living in Central Australia over the past 12 years has brought no real good outcomes to First Nations People. Crime rates have increased, as has the social disadvantage and poverty of First Nations People. Really nothing to celebrate there.
What I want people living in the cities to know about the community I work in:
The resources should be distributed across the need and acknowledge the remoteness and limited access people in remote communities have to everyday affordable options. People living in Kintore are require to drive 1060km round trip to buy affordable clothing and other essential items for their family and household.
What I want politicians to know about the communities I visit:
The systemic inequalities facing remote communities are numerous, and they are important to raise because they directly limit the opportunities, health and safety of people living in these communities.
One clear example is the cost of living. The cost of living is rising, and remote communities already face substantially higher costs for fuel, food and everyday goods than metropolitan areas. Diesel in remote communities can cost around double the metropolitan price, and this flows through to the cost of essential items and food security (Central Land Council, cited in SBS NITV, 2026).
Centrelink does provide a Remote Area Allowance to income support recipients living in eligible remote areas, but at $18.20 a fortnight for a single person, plus a small addition per dependent child, it comes nowhere close to closing the gap (Services Australia, 2026). This falls well short of a liveable wage for people living remotely, at a time when the Northern Territory already has the highest rates of poverty in Australia, with poverty in remote Indigenous NT communities increasing by 10 to 13 percentage points between 2016 and 2021 while it declined in most other parts of the country (NTCOSS, n.d.).
By contrast, when professionals travel to work in remote communities, these costs are factored into their remuneration through higher wages, subsidies, and covered housing, living and travel expenses. This is a necessary acknowledgment that an already underserviced community could not otherwise be serviced. But it also exposes a stark inequity: the people who actually live in these communities do not receive the same consideration, despite carrying the same cost burden every day.
This gap plays out in the services that are missing altogether.
Housing overcrowding in remote NT communities remains among the worst in the country. As at September 2021, 54 per cent of houses in remote Indigenous communities in the NT were considered overcrowded (Australian National Audit Office, 2022), and more recent figures show over half of all remote community homes remain overcrowded today, with 97.6 per cent of people living in severely overcrowded dwellings being Aboriginal (Aboriginal Housing NT). While government investment has increased housing supply in recent years, the scale of the shortfall means overcrowding continues to directly undermine health, safety and wellbeing in these communities.
Access to early childhood education and care drops sharply with remoteness. National research has found remote and outer remote areas have the highest levels of childcare deserts, at 87.5 per cent and 79.9 per cent respectively (Mitchell Institute, Victoria University, cited in Thrive by Five, 2022), and more than two thirds of priority communities experiencing early childhood disadvantage in childcare deserts are in regional or remote areas, with a significantly higher representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children among them (Social Ventures Australia, 2025). This matches what is being observed locally: a childcare building exists but the service is not operating, and it is unclear whether this reflects a funding gap or an implementation failure.
Remote communities are also underserved when it comes to family violence response. Reviews of service provision have found no specialist domestic and family violence counselling programs for regional and remote communities outside of Darwin and Alice Springs (NTCOSS, n.d.), and research into family violence and housing has found regional and remote locations suffer from acute shortages in crisis, transitional and long-term housing, resulting in Indigenous women and children escaping family violence being turned away from safe houses that are already at capacity (AHURI, n.d.). There is no safe house for women and no women’s centre in this community, services that other remote communities do have access to.
References
Aboriginal Housing NT. (n.d.). Our vision. https://ahnt.org.au/what-we-want/
Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI). (n.d.). Understanding family violence and housing in Indigenous families. https://www.ahuri.edu.au/analysis/brief/understanding-family-violence-and-housing-indigenous-families
Australian National Audit Office. (2022). Remote housing in the Northern Territory. https://www.anao.gov.au/work/performance-audit/remote-housing-the-northern-territory
Northern Territory Council of Social Service (NTCOSS). (n.d.). Cost of living. https://ntcoss.org.au/cost-of-living/
Northern Territory Council of Social Service (NTCOSS). (n.d.). Submission: Inquiry into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence. https://ntcoss.org.au/ntcoss-submissions/inquiry-into-domestic-family-and-sexual-violence/
SBS NITV. (2026). Central Land Council push increased support for remote communities as fuel and living costs skyrocket. https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/central-land-council-push-for-increased/hoa14canr
Services Australia. (2026). How much Remote Area Allowance you can get. https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/how-much-remote-area-allowance-you-can-get
Social Ventures Australia. (2025). Targeting investment where it counts. https://www.socialventures.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Targeting-investment-where-it-counts-report-Feb2025.pdf
Thrive by Five. (2022). Royal Far West: Majority of families in outer regional, rural and remote areas stuck suffering in a childcare desert, citing Mitchell Institute, Victoria University. https://www.thrivebyfive.org.au/news/royal-far-west-majority-of-families-in-outer-regional-rural-and-remote-areas-stuck-suffering-in-a-childcare-desert/