Nielsen, Jennifer --- "Community Legal Centres: Bringing legal services to the bush" [2001] AltLawJl 26; (2001) 26(2) Alternative Law Journal 90

• Community Legal Centres: Bringing legal services to the bush
• JENNIFER NEILSEN compiled the following contributions from a range of people involved in servicing rural communities.

Community Legal Centres: Bringing legal services to the bush

JENNIFER NEILSEN compiled the following contributions from a range of people involved in servicing rural communities.

Through hard work and lobbying, there is a growing commitment by government to those involved in legal services in the bush. Most recently this has led to an increasing number of funded community legal centres (CLCs) based in rural, regional and remote parts of Australia. There are many more voluntary services in which dedicated members of the community attempt to increase access to legal services. As elsewhere, these CLCs are important advocates for their communities and also add a unique voice to the law reform lobby in Australia.

In addition, metropolitan-based CLCs are expanding the types of services offered to people in these communities, and using the increased capacity offered by new technology to enable even more rural clients to access their services.

Even so, the services currently provided still do not meet the demand for accessible and affordable justice for all communities in the bush.

As is detailed elsewhere in this edition, the needs of clients in these areas are unique both in terms of the legal issues they face, and the way in which services can be most effectively provided to them. We asked those involved in servicing rural communities to describe the issues confronting their communities and clients, and to share some of their experiences in program delivery. Thank you to each of the contributors for sharing these stories with us.