August 21, 2014
The Aboriginal Family Legal Service Southern Queensland – which provides legal assistance to victims of domestic violence in Cherbourg and Murgon as well as right across southern Queensland – has a new home and a new management structure.
The service was previously auspiced by Maranoa Regional Council but an indigenous Board of Directors has now been put in place.
Their new office, in Roma, will be officially opened on Friday (August 22).
“Our new structure of community control embeds principals of culturally appropriate services in all that we do, from service delivery to how we manage our affairs,” CEO Nick Thompson said.
“It’s integral that we are a culturally appropriate and accessible service to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victims of domestic and family violence across Southern Queensland.”
Corporation chairperson Susan Klein said Aboriginal women were 31 times more likely than non-indigenous women to be hospitalised as a result of violence and 15 times more likely to seek assistance from homelessness services to escape domestic and family violence.
“Our service has a great deal of work to do to prevent violence in indigenous communities and support victims of violence,” she said.
“Our organisation is ready to take up this challenge across South Western Queensland and the South Burnett.”
