Closing date 9am on Monday 7 April 2025. Applicants may still be considered after this date until the job ad is closed on Seek.

This is a great opportunity to work in a coastal regional city, performing rewarding work by providing free legal assistance in various areas of civil law, which can be tailored to the preference and experience of the successful applicant.

We are seeking a Civil / Family Law Solicitor. Full-time is preferred, but part-time and flexible arrangements will be considered. Click on Position Description Civil or Family Law Solicitor 2025.1 for the detailed position description. This position is responsible for independently providing legal advice, undertaking casework, development and delivery of community legal education and a small amount of law reform work. The Seek job ad is located here: Seek Ad.

The areas of law this could include are employment, discrimination, debt, consumer disputes, estates, Enduring Powers of Attorney, family law, domestic violence, mental health law, motor vehicle accidents and neighbourhood disputes.

The applicant must have a current practising certificate or ability to obtain one quickly. An open driver licence is essential.

To apply please lodge your application on Seek (preferred) or email jessica@mrclc.com.au.

As the President of the Mackay Regional Community Legal Centre, I am proud to reaffirm our commitment to reconciliation and the ongoing journey towards closing the gap. Our current Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) serves as a cornerstone of our efforts, guiding us in building meaningful partnerships and fostering a deeper understanding of the rich history, culture, and customs of the lands upon which we work and support.

We recognise the importance of working collaboratively with both the First Nations and Australian South Sea Islander communities and stakeholders. Through these partnerships, we aim to develop a stronger, more inclusive community. Our RAP outlines specific actions and goals that reflect our dedication to this cause, including:

• Building Partnerships: We are committed to establishing and nurturing relationships with First Nations and Australian South Sea Islander stakeholders and communities.

• Cultural Understanding: We strive to deepen our understanding of the history, culture, and customs of the lands we inhabit. This involves ongoing education and engagement with community leaders and members to ensure our services are culturally sensitive and respectful.

• Employment Opportunities: We are committed to investigating ways to provide further opportunities for employment within our organisation.

• Supplier Diversity: We are committed to supporting local businesses and suppliers, particularly those owned and operated by First Nations and Australian South Sea Islander individuals. This not only strengthens our community but also promotes economic growth and sustainability.

Our journey towards reconciliation is ongoing, and we are dedicated to making tangible progress. We invite all members of our community to join us in this important work. If you are passionate about reconciliation and interested in becoming part of our committee, we would love to hear from you. Please contact the Mackay Regional Community Legal Centre on 4953 1211 for more information on how you can get involved

Together, we can build a stronger community.

Sincerely,
Justine Sturgiss
President, Mackay Regional Community Legal Centre

You can view our Annual Report for the period 1 July 2023 – 30 June 2024 here: Annual Report 2024.

During the financial year we delivered 6,786 services, which included:

– providing advice and/or casework assistance to 1,192 clients
– providing 4,513 referrals to additional service providers that may be able to help
– providing 1,676 legal advices by a solicitor
– performing 89 legal tasks, such as drafting letters or court documents
– providing 195 Domestic and Family Violence Duty Lawyer services
– opening 33 and closing 26 cases, mostly by providing representation in the Mental Health Review Tribunal
– delivering 14 community legal education presentations
– creating 3 community legal education resources

Our clients:

– 68% were female
– 29% identified as having a disability
– 14% identified as First Nations
– 88.5% earned less than $52,000 a year

The MRCLC is proud to have our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan endorsed by Reconcilation Australia. You can find our 2 year RAP on their website by clicking here.

We will have an official launch of our RAP at 12:30pm on Wednesday 15 May 2024.

MRCLC Innovate RAP

Our Annual Report 2023 summarises the work we have undertaken this past financial year.

Snapshot from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023:

Clients

• 1,122 clients (legal advice and/or ongoing assistance)
• 81% of clients earn less than $52,000
• 69% of clients are female
• 35% of clients are over 50
• 31% (350) have a disability and/or a mental illness
• 11% (125) clients identify as First Nations

Services

• 1,658 legal advices
• 108 legal tasks
• 186 domestic and family violence duty lawyer services at the Mackay Magistrates Court
• 43 ongoing casework matters

Youpla Group Funeral Benefits Program

The Youpla Group, also called the Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund, collapsed earlier this year.

The Australian Government has started the Youpla Group Funeral Benefits Program to help the families of fund members affected by the collapse. This will help the families of fund members’ conduct Sorry Business with dignity. Information about this program can be found here: https://treasury.gov.au/youpla.  The information below is from the Australian Government’s website.

Eligibility

The Program will pay a funeral benefit for a person who has passed away that was a Youpla Group fund member on or after 1 April 2020. If the member’s funeral was already paid for, you can still make an application.

The Program will pay the cover limit of the member’s Youpla Group policy.

This Program is not a compensation scheme. The Program will only pay a funeral benefit for a member who has passed away.

If you are not the person named as the payee on the Youpla Group or Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund policy, but need to make an application, we will contact you to help us to work out if you should be the person paid by the program.

Make an application

You can make an application if you have a loved one who has passed away who had a Youpla funeral expenses policy on or after 1 April 2020.

You can make an application up to 30 November 2023.

The Australian Government will pay an amount up to the cover limit in the fund member’s policy.

Our Annual Report summarises the work we have undertaken this past financial year.

Snapshot from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022:

Clients

• 1,154 clients (legal advice and/or ongoing assistance)
• 81.3% of clients earn less than $52,000
• 69.3% of clients are female
• 35% of clients over 50
• 28% (321) have a disability and/or mental illness
• 10.9% (126) of clients identify as First Nations

Services

• 1,590 legal advices
• 121 legal tasks
• 160 domestic and family violence duty lawyer services at the Mackay Magistrates Court
• 35 ongoing casework matters

Jessica delivered a presentation on family law (parenting and financial matters), divorce and domestic violence to staff of Whitsunday Counselling and Support in Cannonvale on 14 December 2021. The slides are available here: Family Law and Domestic Violence.

Dividing Fences

Solicitor Simone Butschle presented the Community Legal Education session on Dividing Fences to Queensland Dispute Resolution Centre mediators on 12 November 2021.