Community Legal Centres NSW

02/11/2026

MEDIA RELEASE: New South Wales is one step closer to a Human Rights Act, with the NSW parliament this week holding public hearings over three days, as part of its Inquiry into the Human Rights Bill 2025.

The Inquiry comes after the Human Rights Act for NSW - an Alliance of more than 150 legal and community organisations, faith bodies and trade unions - has spent years calling on NSW to conduct a community consultation and enact a Human Rights Act.

Our submission to the inquiry contains 12 key recommendations that have been endorsed by 164 organisations and eminent legal experts.

Our analysis so far indicates that more than 85 per cent of the 268 submissions published by the Inquiry support the principle that NSW should enact a Human Rights Act.

NSW has fallen significantly behind comparable jurisdictions when it comes to legally protecting fundamental rights. The ACT, Victoria and Queensland have enacted Human Rights Acts. Comparable democracies - Canada, New Zealand, the UK - also have well developed local Human Rights Acts.

The absence of a Human Rights Act in NSW leaves residents with some of the weakest legal protection of their human rights anywhere in the Western democratic world.

The Human Rights Bill 2025 was introduced by the Member for Newtown, Jenny Leong MP, in October 2025 and referred to the Legislative Assembly Committee on Community Services in March.

This inquiry is an historic opportunity for NSW to identify gaps in existing rights protections, learn from other jurisdictions and put in place a law that protects all of NSW communities- no matter their background, identity or location.

Public support for reform is strong. Recent polling by Amnesty International Australia found that 76% of people in NSW support introducing a Human Rights Act in the state.

JOIN THE CALL. EMAIL YOUR MP & SIGN YOUR SUPPORT: https://humanrightsfornsw.org/

READ MORE ABOUT WHY SO MANY ORGANISATIONS ARE UNITED IN THEIR CALL FOR A : https://humanrightsfornsw.org/news


Australian Lawyers for Human Rights NSW Council for Civil Liberties Amnesty International Australia Human Rights Law Centre People with Disability Australia ANTAR Knowmore ECommunity Legal Centres NSW Aboriginal Legal Service

02/11/2026

02/11/2026

Watch this week's public hearing livestream here, where community legal centres are speaking now: https://ponsw.events.corrivium.live/macquarie

19/10/2026

Justice Where We Live was launched at Federal Parliament on Wednesday 14 October, by frontline community legal workers and clients alongside Community Legal Centres Australia and parliamentary co-hosts Marion Scrymgour MP and Dr Helen Haines MP.

Justice Where We Live is a digital storytelling tool that contains videos, stories, photos, data and insights from the frontlines right across Australia.

With Justice Where We Live, Community Legal Centres Australia is calling on the Federal Government to do the work to map legal need and develop funding models that mean people can get help where and when they need it.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4yuQRCP

30/09/2026

What would it mean to live free from racism?

To feel safe.
To be respected.
To reach your full potential without intimidation or fear.

For some, it means knowing their children, grandchildren and future generations won’t have to experience the racism generations before them have faced.

And for others, imagining a life without racism isn’t so simple.

At our Stand Up Against Racism Conference on the Central Coast, we asked community:

What does living free from racism mean to you?

The answers were different. Personal. Honest.

But they speak to something we should all be able to expect:

A life where we feel safe, respected and free to be who we are.

Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences, perspectives and hopes for the future.

These are conversations we need to keep having.

21/09/2026

Introducing our new organisational artwork: Yilaan Gaal Gail Garrigarrangu Mudjin by Tully Winona De Vries.

Tully Winona De Vries is a Gamilaroi and Darug single mum and multi-disciplinary artist working in fine art, dance, and poetry. Her work sits at a meeting place between Blak spirituality and the deep questions she keeps returning to about life, death, and her own metaphysical place in the universe.

'Yilaan Gaal Gail Garrigarrangu Mudjin' is a mix of Darug and Gamilaroi languages that translates to ‘fresh water salt water family’.

This work maps our sector as a living system. Waterways, sky country, and the paths people have travelled to reach us and to change us. At the centre is community.

Find out more about Tully and this beautiful painting on our website: https://www.clcnsw.org.au/artwork-yilaan-gaal-gail-garrigarrangu-mudjin-tully-winona-de-vries

16/09/2026

Community Legal Centres NSW supports the Red Lines Package.

Australia has a legal duty under international law to prevent genocide and not be involved in crimes against humanity.

Right now, our laws don’t do enough to stop Australia from being complicit in these crimes through charity work, institutional partnerships, trillion-dollar investments, military trade, and embedded personnel.

The Red Lines Package would address these gaps, helping to protect our reputation and save human lives.

Sign the petition to support the Red Lines Package: https://bit.ly/46mJUZ3

10/09/2026

10 September is World Su***de Prevention Day

The 2026 theme Changing the Narrative on Su***de calls on us to destigmatise su***de and encourages us to have honest and compassionate conversations.

Stigma makes it harder for people to be open about suicidal thoughts. Changing the narrative on su***de requires systemic change. It's about shifting from a culture of silence and stigma to one of openness, understanding, and support.

If you work in a Community Legal Centre in NSW you have access to the CLCNSW Employee Assistance Program that includes six free counselling sessions. Email us at [email protected] with your CLC email to get access to the EAP.

For resources on having conversations about su***de and other mental health topics, check out the links below:

https://bit.ly/4daH6Sp
https://bit.ly/3T00haO
https://bit.ly/46QZZGo

09/09/2026

The New Zealand Election is coming up on 7 November 2026! If you are from New Zealand, living in Australia, you may be eligible to vote.

Enrol by Sunday 25 October to ensure you can vote in New Zealand's election.

Learn more about voting in the NZ elections from overseas: https://bit.ly/4gHyipv