News Archive

Board Director (Voluntary)

We have 3 vacancies on our Board of Directors. Opportunities exist to contribute expertise in one or more of the following areas: Governance Not-for-profits Disability lived experience or professional experience in the sector Aged Care sector experience  ...

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Social Worker

Mental Health Legal and Advocacy Service (MHLAS) is a 2 year pilot program that will focus on; legal issues relating to mental illness specifically. discrimination in relation to employment, education and insurance. housing issues, including problems relating to...

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Community Solicitor

  Mental Health Legal and Advocacy Service (MHLAS) is a 2 year pilot program that will focus on; legal issues relating to mental illness specifically. discrimination in relation to employment, education and insurance. housing issues, including problems relating...

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Financial Counsellor

Be part of the development of a high-impact specialist service supporting vulnerable Territorians Join a cohesive team of innovative and experienced lawyers and advocates Work in a best-practice environment where staff development and opportunities are prioritised...

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Managing Solicitor

Managing Solicitor Take the next step in your legal career as our Managing Solicitor and start making a tangible difference throughout the Top End region today! Earn an industry-competitive salary + superannuation and enjoy fantastic benefits, including relocation...

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Intake Officer x 2

About Darwin Community Legal Service Darwin Community Legal Services (DCLS) is located on Larrakia county. We acknowledge the Larrakia people as the Traditional Owners of the Darwin region and we acknowledge Traditional Owners of lands throughout the Northern...

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Make Renting Fair in the NT

In April this year, the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, detailed a plan in the National Cabinet in Brisbane to strengthen the rights of renters across the country. Housing Ministers from each State and Territory will be tasked with developing proposals for National...

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DCLS contributes to review of the NDIS Act

In advance of, or probably because of, the commencement of hearings for the Disability Royal Commission, the Commonwealth Government has commissioned a review of the NDIS Act and is proposing a Participant Service Guarantee to set service standards for the NDIS. DCLS...

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Residential Tenancy Reform – too little, too late?

DCLS supports reform that will ensure Residential Tenancy regulation is fair, safe and certain for tenants and landlords.  A comprehensive reform of the current 20 year old legislation was promised in May last year and had bipartisan support. After a truncated...

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Umbakumba Community Outreach – Financial Abuse

Advocates from SDRS undertook outreach in October and travelled to Groote Eylandt where they met with the community at Umbakumba.  Members of the community came to meet with SDRS and talk about financial abuse and matters related to the NDIS. Financial abuse in the...

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Update from DCLS Executive Director

Our year has had many highlights but most have come from working collaboratively with other organisations in the NT. Together we are stronger and more effective and the sharing of skills and knowledge enhances our services and the outcomes for our community. We joined...

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DCLS welcomes new leadership team!

With the addition of Shelley Landmark as our Principal Solicitor, the new DCLS Leadership team has some familiar faces and some new blood, giving us the skills to respond to the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities ahead. Tamara and David form the...

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Concerns for participants in guardianship proceedings

DCLS, along with Katherine Women’s Legal Service and the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency met recently with the Attorney-General, the Hon Natasha Fyles MP to raise concerns about support and representation for participants in guardianship proceedings. The NT...

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Tenancy Team expanding outreach services

Tenancy Solicitor Myles Brown travelled with the Seniors and Disability Rights Team to East Arnhem recently as part of the TAS team’s commitment to expanding our outreach across the NT.  He met with the Department of Housing staff, real estate agents, Anglicare and...

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Northern Territory tenants in need of real reform

The review of the NT Residential Tenancy Act has finally been initiated with a discussion paper recently released by the Northern Territory Government.   While we acknowledge the government progressing this much needed area of reform, the process has been rushed, the...

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Advocating for residents of Supported Independent Living

The Seniors and Disability Rights Service (SDRS) provides support to those receiving NDIS disability supported accommodation and their families.  Advocates Elaine Walton and Sharon Binns were invited to visit a new Supported Independent Living/Short Term Accommodation...

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Update from DCLS Executive Director

Darwin in the dry season is the place to be as meetings, conferences and commissions descend on us to take advantage of the weather. Over 1000 delegates arrived in Darwin for the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) National Housing Conference in...

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Santa Teresa decision triggers departmental policy overhaul

Jasmine Cavanagh is one of 70 residents from the remote community Santa Teresa, south of Alice Springs, who brought a class action against the Government in 2016 for failing to maintain their public housing. The tribunal found that the residents should be compensated...

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The road to independence is paved with NDIS rejections

DCLS client Mark Moodie this year started his own business, an Indigenous mining and energy consultancy, where he hopes to train young Aboriginal people to use drone technology.  He is also a tetraplegic. He sought support from the NDIA to help him overcome some of...

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Update from DCLS Executive Director

It’s that time of the year when attention turns to funding and keeping our services going for another year.  Key issues impacting the sustainability of community services include the issue of NT Budget Repair and uncertainty around the newly elected Coalition...

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Thin Markets Project

The DCLS Seniors and Disability Rights Service Thin Markets Project submission is now available to view. The Thin Markets Project outlines some of the key issues faced in the Northern Territory in relation to services for people with a disability under the National...

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The postcode lottery

Budget repair has captured the headlines of late and DCLS have been active in promoting the important role of human services in the economy. The Australian Government’s Job Outlook identifies Health Care and Social Assistance as the top industry for jobs growth over...

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Transition to Community-managed housing

Transition to Community-managed housing: The Tenants' Advice Service has been involved in monitoring recent transfers of Territory Housing properties to management by community service providers to ensure minimum disruption for the tenants and the transfer of tenant...

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Final report: Elder Abuse in the NT

The Darwin Community Legal Service Elder Abuse Prevention Project Final Report is now available. Click this link for the full report: Elder Abuse Prevention Project Final Report The Final Report on our Elder Abuse project was released in February subsequent to the...

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FREE workshop – advocacy and the NDIS

The Seniors and Disability Rights Service will be hosting a free workshop aimed at increasing your knowledge regarding the NDIS. DATE: Thursday 28 February 2019 TIME: 6.00pm - 8.00pm WHERE: Level 1 Winlow Houe, 75 Woods St Darwin During the workshop we will: answer...

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Free NDIS advice clinics!

Starting on the 25th of February 2019, DCLS will be operating NDIS advice clinics after hours across the Darwin Region. The clinics operate on a first-come-first-serve basis. You will have the opportunity to speak one on one with our specialty advocate regarding any...

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Advocate – Seniors and Disability Rights Service

Darwin Community Legal Service is a multi-disciplinary service that provides a range of legal and advocacy services to the community to underpin access to justice. The SDRS Advocate is part of a small team that represents the rights and interests of disabled and older...

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NT Human Rights Awards

DCLS was honoured to be nominated for the NT Human Rights Justice and Social Change Awards last night.  Worthy winners of these two categories were the YWCA Women of Worth program for their work in transitioning women from prison and reducing recidivism,  and the...

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Christmas Closure

Darwin Community Legal Service will be closed over the Christmas and new year period from COB Friday 21 December and will reopen on Wednesday 2 January 2019. Wishing you all a safe and happy festive season.

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Changes to After Hours Clinics

Our final free legal session for 2018 will be on Thursday 13th December in our Darwin office. The sessions will resume in 2019 on Thursday 31st January. There will be some changes to the free legal advice service in the new year as we trial a new timetable. Details...

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Protecting older Australians from financial abuse

This month we met with ASIC Connect and other members of the finance sector to discuss solutions to protect older Australians from financial abuse. We also raised the need to improve access to financial and banking services for people with disabilities. We were...

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Elder Abuse Prevention Project Survey Report

On Friday the 15th June DCLS hosted an event to mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Participants were involved in an information and discussion session to outline the issue and presence of Elder Abuse in the Northern Territory. Following the theme of 'RESPECT -...

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NDIS workshop – register now!

The Seniors and Disability Rights Service will be rolling out a series of NDIS workshops which are funded by NDIS Innovation Grant. Please see the below image for further details.  

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MEDIA RELEASE – Reforms for renters long overdue

Today the Northern Territory Parliament marked its commitment to modernising tenancy law in the Territory by passing long overdue reforms to the Residential Tenancies Act to increase protections for tenants across the Territory.  The amendments will remove the...

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MEDIA RELEASE – Unjust convictions wiped from the record

  The Chief Minister made a formal apology in Parliament today to those convicted of consensual “homosexual offences”.  Although the offences were removed in 1984, criminal records still exist for those convicted of these offences. Darwin Community Legal Service...

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DCLS’s free Law Week workshop – register now!

DCLS is proud to announce our free professional development workshop ‘Identifying legal issues for your clients’ is all new for 2018 Supported by the Public Purposes Trust, the event will be held at Darwin Hilton 9.30-4.30 Monday 14 May A free lunch at the Hilton and...

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Statement on elder abuse prevention strategy announcement

As our population ages, elder abuse and greater supports and services for the aged increasingly require a societal response.  Darwin Community Legal Service and the Council of the Ageing NT are united in calling for governments at all levels to step up in dealing with...

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Elder abuse prevention project community survey

The Elder Abuse Prevention Project has been funded by the Office of Senior Territorians for 12 months to raise awareness of elder abuse in the community and to identify strategies to protect older people from abuse and mistreatment.    As part of this work, DCLS is...

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Elder abuse prevention project

The Seniors and Disability Rights Service operating within Darwin Community Legal Services has received 12 months of funding from the Office of Senior Territorians to minimise elder abuse in our communities. We are doing this by raising community awareness around the...

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Legal victory sets precedent in tenant security

Darwin Community Legal Service recently represented a tenant seeking compensation for items stolen during a home invasion robbery. The case was heard at The Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NTCAT) which found that the landlord had failed in their...

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Last advice session for the year and shut down dates

Tonight's free legal advice session in our Darwin city office will be the last for the year. Make sure you get in early! There are some things we cant work on, for more information please click here. The next sessions will be- Palmerston library, Monday January 29th...

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Rights on Show exhibition opening and award winners

The opening night and awards ceremony for the 2017 Rights on Show was held last night at the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory. There were some incredible entries this year, and it was a real challenge deciding the winners. Highly commended: Michael Rule – for...

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2016-2017 Annual General Meeting

DCLS held its Annual General Meeting this week at which Julie Davis was re-elected Chair. DCLS would like to take this opportunity to thank our board members for their dedication, hard work and commitment to helping us achieve our vision and meet our purpose. Our...

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Introducing our new Executive Director

Darwin Community Legal Service is pleased to announce the appointment of Linda Weatherhead as our new Executive Director. Linda brings a wealth of skill and knowledge to DCLS gained through her years of experience working with community legal services, commercial...

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NT HUMAN RIGHTS AWARDS LUNCHTIME TALKS

The second of the 2017 Human Rights Awards talks was delivered this week by Pat Sims, coordinator of Football Without Borders. Football Without Borders is a free to join, volunteer-run, non-profit community program that aims to build strong relationships between...

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NT Human Rights Awards lunchtime talks

In the lead up to the 2017 NT Human Rights awards a special series of lunchtime talks are being held. Yesterday Jared Sharp, human rights lawyer and NT General Manager, Jesuit Social Services, gave a presentation titled, How can we make sure the human rights of...

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Privacy policy

It’s important you can trust us with your personal information. We take your privacy and security very seriously.

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DCLS Newsletter March 2017

Thanks for taking a moment to read our latest newsletter. Community Legal Centres Australia wide are facing funding cuts from 1 July 2017. If the cuts are not reversed, Darwin Community Legal Centre – along with other community legal centres in the Northern Territory – will have to reduce services.

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