Assistance for First Nations people affected directly or indirectly by the Aborigines Protection Act 1909 as part of the stolen generation will focus on Warra Warra Legal Service’s upcoming visits to Menindee, Wilcannia, and Wentworth.
Warra Warra Principal Solicitor Jude Sweeney said that there is currently a particular reparation payment available until 30th June 2022. The legal service will assist those who would like to make a claim.
“The purpose of the outreach campaign is mostly to remind people about the payment. Reminding people of the closing date, and seeing if that is something they might want make an application on, or to let family members throughout the State know about.”
Ms Sweeney said that the role of the legal service is mostly as an information conduit, and the outreach will be about initiating a conversation through a Barbeque on the riverbank.
Ms Sweeney emphasized that Warra-Warra Legal Service is a free legal service that provides legal advice, representation, and counselling support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander survivors of family violence in the Far West of New South Wales.
“We can help with the process of obtaining records from the Department of Community and Justice to helping to put the process in online.”
Warra Warra Legal service highlights that the sensitivity of the content can make accessing reparation payments a traumatic process.
The legal service said that for some individuals, seeing what was written about them as a child may not be something they want to read themselves and which they can help with.
“Helping people unlock the barriers and being able to execute a claim like this can be challenging for people to do on their own. “Ms Sweeney said.
“Reparation payments can never absolve the Governments for what they did. More often than not, these payments are of no benefit, but they are for some people,” she said.
“There are a couple of things that Aboriginal Affairs offer as well as payments, part of that is an apology and part of that is offering counselling, for some people who fall in and are eligible for the payment, a lot of them just want it to be a recognition for what they suffered.”
Warra Warra Legal Service will be offering a feed and opening conversations about the Stolen Generation Reparation Scheme in Wilcannia on Wednesday 9th March, in Wentworth Friday 11th March and Menindee on Wednesday 30th March.
To get in touch with Warra Warra Legal Service call 1800 812 800.
