allied-justice

ABC highlights funding pressures in Ballarat’s family violence response – Allied Justice calls for sustained investment

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 04:50:17 GMT

ABC News has reported growing concerns from frontline organisations about whether current funding for Ballarat’s family violence prevention response will be sufficient to meet community needs. The article highlights the state-funded Respect Ballarat “saturation model” alongside increasing reports of family violence and rising demand for support services in the region.

The report shows what Allied Justice and many local services are experiencing firsthand: increased awareness is prompting more people to seek help, but systems are struggling to respond at the necessary scale.

Allied Justice CEO Narelle Laing stated that the conversation needs to go beyond short-term timelines.

"We should support advocacy for funding beyond four years. Preventing family violence requires generational change, not time-limited pilots. While prevention efforts are vital, those experiencing violence today need access to social support and justice—immediately."

Ms Laing emphasised that increasing reporting rates should be interpreted carefully.

“The rise in demand does not necessarily indicate more violence—it also shows greater awareness and confidence to seek help. However, without sufficient resources for frontline services and legal aid, the demand risks overwhelming the very systems people depend on."

ABC reporting also highlights concerns from service providers that prevention initiatives might further strain under-resourced response services if not supported by additional funding. Allied Justice agrees that a dual approach is necessary.

“We need to honestly evaluate what is working and what isn’t in our current responses to family violence,” Ms Laing said. “It is a social responsibility to ensure victim-survivors are supported now, while also investing in long-term prevention. Governments must commit to both.”

Allied Justice will continue to advocate for:

long-term investment beyond short funding cycles
increased funding for frontline and legal services
Justice responses that prioritise safety and access for victim-survivors.
evidence-based prevention strategies that reinforce, rather than burden, local systems

�� Read the ABC News article:
Funding concerns over Ballarat’s violence prevention model (ABC News) [abc.net.au]

Together, we’ll navigate bushfire recovery.

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 23:44:32 GMT

Allied Justice is here for you during this challenging time

Our hearts are with everyone affected by the recent bushfires.
We know recovery is not just about rebuilding homes—it’s about restoring lives and communities.

If you’ve been affected, please remember:

✅ Follow all emergency services’ directions to stay safe.
✅ Hardship payments are available to help with immediate needs.

Legal issues can arise after a disaster, and Allied Justice is here to support you.
We’re a community legal centre and registered charity , funded by state and federal governments to provide you with free legal services.

We can assist with:

Financial hardship and debt management
Insurance claims and property damage
Tenancy and employment issues
Replacing lost or damaged documents
Family law, family violence, and compliance with parenting or intervention orders

You don’t have to face this alone. Reach out to us for free, confidential legal assistance and community support.

�� Call us on FREECALL 1800 466 488.

Together, we’ll navigate recovery and build a stronger, more resilient future.

Download the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing in Victoria, Australia, Emergencies in Victoria Handbook: Managing your emotional wellbeing and accessing Emergency Relief Payments

Renting and impacted by the bushfire?
Watch a quick video from Tenants Victoria that explains your rights: Renting and Disasters - Get legal advice before handing back your keys.

Reflection on 2025

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 23:30:00 GMT

2025 was a year of courageous change and unwavering commitment to justice.

As the year comes to an end, we look back on Allied Justice's journey. A year defined by transformation and meaningful impact.

The highlight of the year was our name change, a carefully considered process involving our Board, staff, and stakeholders. The response from the communities we serve, our partners, and funders has been overwhelmingly positive, reaffirming our commitment to justice and inclusion.

This year, we implemented a new service delivery model aligned with our Strategy, improving access to justice across our region. We also conducted a Disaster Insurance Needs Analysis following two consecutive years of devastating bushfires, enabling us to provide long-term, meaningful legal assistance to affected communities.

Key milestones include:

Establishing a Disaster Resilience Project Manager role to strengthen preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities.
Appointing a Financial Counsellor to provide holistic support to our legal clients.
Launching the Housing Justice Project in collaboration with five regional CLCs.
Growing our team from 16 employees in 2023 to 27 in 2025.

We are proud of what we’ve achieved together:

Supported 1,100 clients.
Launched a new website that connects people with vital legal information.
Travelling 36,833 km across our region to reach those who need us most.

To our volunteer Board, thank you for your guidance and commitment to governance excellence. To our volunteer solicitors, your Wednesday night clinic continues to expand access to justice for those who need it most. To our dedicated team, your passion and resilience make all the difference.

As we look ahead to 2026, we remain focused on building stronger, more resilient communities through justice.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey. Here’s to another year of impact and collaboration!

Welcome Emily Nester - Director Integrated Services & Engagement

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 22:26:54 GMT

Welcoming Emily Nester as Director of Integrated Services & Engagement

Allied Justice is pleased to welcome Emily Nester as the new Director of Integrated Services & Engagement. Emily brings over 18 years of experience in youth justice and crime prevention, along with senior leadership roles, backed by a solid academic background in Developmental Trauma and Criminology.

Emily’s career has been driven by her dedication to systemic change and her ability to forge strong partnerships that deliver innovative justice solutions for marginalised communities. Most recently, she led Client Services at Cafs Ballarat, overseeing programs in financial counselling, housing and homelessness, tenancy advocacy, and gambling help. Before that, Emily was the Senior Manager of Youth Crime Prevention at Berry Street, where she managed multi-agency initiatives and secured significant funding for programs like Goldfields Education.

Emily’s passion for trauma-informed, evidence-based approaches aligns perfectly with Allied Justice’s aim of improving rights, opportunities, and wellbeing for those most marginalised. Her vision for integrated services is bold and inclusive.

“This is not about rigid structures—it’s about creating adaptable, flexible, and energised wraparound services that respond to real lives and genuine legal needs.”

Emily is dedicated to integrating cultural responsiveness, healing, and trauma awareness into all aspects of our work. Her leadership will aim to enhance collaboration between programs, support staff wellbeing, and foster partnerships across sectors such as justice, health, education, and community.

Emily is passionate about leading transformative initiatives that will shape how justice is delivered in regional communities.

“Together, we will build systems that are inclusive, empowering, and driven by a shared commitment to caring for our community.”

Please join us in welcoming Emily to Allied Justice.
We look forward to the positive impact her leadership will have as we continue to transform lives through improved access to justice.

Allied Justice Publishes Annual Report 2024–2025

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 04:23:05 GMT

We are proud to announce the release of Allied Justice’s Annual Report for 2024–2025, marking a year of transformation, growth, and steadfast commitment to justice.

This year marked a milestone for our organisation. Formerly known as Ballarat & Grampians Community Legal Service , we engaged in thorough planning and strategy development during the 2024–2025 financial year to redefine our identity. In August 2025, we officially introduced our new name: Allied Justice —a name that embodies our core values of respect, courage, empowerment, and kindness. This change is more than just a rebrand; it’s a reaffirmation of our mission to support people facing disadvantage and to deliver genuine justice.

Key Highlights and Impact

1,240 clients supported across 11 local government areas.
73% of matters related to family violence , with rates in some LGAs more than double the state average.
27 community legal education sessions delivered , including disaster preparedness and family violence prevention.
12 outreach locations established , including maternal and child health clinics and family violence courts.
Volunteer contribution: 8 volunteer lawyers provided after-hours services, supported by law students and interns.

Looking Ahead

Our new strategy for 2025–2027 focuses on:

Expanding integrated services across rural and remote communities.
Strengthening early intervention through Health Justice Partnerships.
Advocating for systemic change to improve access to justice for disadvantaged communities.

�� Read the full Annual Report here: Download the 2024–2025 Annual Report
�� Have questions or want to learn more? Contact us at help@alliedjustice.org.au or call 1800 466 488 .

Allied Justice Appoints new Director of Legal, Mogahid Ahmed

jen@alliedjustice.org.au (Jen Davis) — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 03:36:36 GMT

Welcome Mogahid Ahmed

Allied Justice is proud to announce the appointment of Mogahid Ahmed (Moga) as our new Director of Legal. Moga brings over eight years of diverse legal experience across civil, corporate, and summary crime, with strong expertise in community law, Aboriginal justice, and disaster legal assistance.

Throughout his career, Moga has worked in Victoria and the Northern Territory in roles that combine legal and systemic advocacy and community engagement. He has represented clients in matters involving family violence, housing, summary crime, mental health, and civil law, and has led advocacy on nationally significant issues.

Notably, while working as a Corporate Lawyer for the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (CAAC), Moga played a key role in defending the organisation’s right to use the Aboriginal Flag in its logo. His advocacy helped secure a federal resolution on a matter of great cultural and national importance.

Moga’s experience includes developing collaborative disaster legal assistance responses after the 2022 Victorian floods, co-presenting legal education sessions in affected communities, and working closely with Aboriginal organisations to ensure culturally safe access to justice. Most recently, he helped establish Victoria Legal Aid’s (VLA) dedicated First Nations legal help line, leading a small team and shaping service design to better meet community needs alongside VLA First Nations leaders.

Moga says he was drawn to Allied Justice by the organisation’s integrated services model, which combines legal and non-legal supports to address the underlying causes of legal problems.

“ Equal access to justice is at the heart of my work,” Moga said. “Too often, people in regional and rural communities face the highest barriers to justice while being in the greatest need. The integrated model at Allied Justice is a powerful and innovative way of responding; by working collectively to tackle both the legal issues and the social challenges people face. ”

As Director of Legal, Moga will lead Allied Justice’s legal team, focusing on strengthening the integrated approach, fostering trusted community connections, and driving systemic advocacy for lasting change.

Allied Justice CEO, Narelle Laing, welcomed Moga to the organisation:

As a Ballarat local who has lived in various regional communities, Moga is aware of the challenges faced by disadvantaged individuals in regional areas. He is dedicated to amplifying community voices, promoting equal access to legal justice, simplifying complex legal processes, and ensuring Allied Justice remains a trusted and reliable service.

“Moga brings not only exceptional legal expertise but also a lived commitment to equity, cultural sensitivity, and trauma-informed practice. His leadership will guarantee that Allied Justice continues to stand alongside our community, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background or postcode, can access the justice they deserve. ”

BGCLS is now Allied Justice

jen@alliedjustice.org.au (Jen Davis) — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 05:14:32 GMT

Some Things Change and Some Things Stay the Same

We’re excited to share that we are now Allied Justice.

What’s changing?

Our new email address: help@alliedjustice.org.au and this new website: https://www.alliedjustice.org.au

As we grow and evolve, we’ve chosen a name that better reflects who we are and the values we stand for. This isn’t just a rebrand—it’s a reaffirmation of our mission to empower communities with respect, courage, and kindness. We are committed to reaching more rural and remote communities, providing integrated services including financial counselling, community legal education, law reform and partnering in projects that address issues our clients are facing daily.

This change reflects more than just a new identity—it represents our unwavering commitment to standing beside our clients every step of the way. At Allied Justice, we see the whole person, not just a case, and we help them feel seen. We stand with our clients until they can stand for themselves, and we fight for what’s fair, together. This is what we call Real Justice: the kind our clients actually want. It’s justice with our sleeves rolled up. It’s justice done together.

What is not changing is our integrity, our professionalism, and our commitment to always rise to the challenge. We do what others shy away from by standing together, in partnership, unified in purpose, seeing it through together.

 We have always, and continue to be, here for community.

What’s staying the same?

Our locations at 5 Chancery Lane, Ballarat 3350 and 91a Wilson Street, Horsham 3340 and our freecall number: 1800 466 488

Community Legal Sector Leaders to Convene in Ballarat for Quarterly CEO Forum

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 04:52:03 GMT

The Federation of Community Legal Centres hosted its quarterly CEO forum in Ballarat on Wednesday, bringing together leaders from across Victoria’s community legal sector.

Chief Executive Officers from the state’s 50 place-based and specialist community legal centres gathered to discuss the growing demands on the sector and to collaborate on strategies to strengthen access to justice for Victorians in need.

The meeting was opened by Ballarat and Grampians Community Legal Service (BGCLS) CEO Narelle Laing, who launched the organisation’s 2025–2027 Strategy. The plan outlined BGCLS’s significant growth and service expansion, and the launch featured a compelling case study that showcased how the organisation is changing life stories through better access to justice.

“Demand for legal services has grown rapidly across Victoria over the past five years, with regional communities such as Ballarat, Horsham, and the Grampians area experiencing this surge most acutely. Ballarat and Grampians Community Legal Service’s (BGCLS) strategy for 2025-27 presents an ambitious vision for the future, demonstrating the truly transformative value of community legal services, and outlining ways in which more people’s legal needs can be met. We look forward to supporting BGCLS to execute this impressive strategy.”

Louisa Gibbs

"The launch of our new strategy reflected the incredible progress we’ve made and the growing need for legal support in our region. We are proud to be part of a sector that drives real change in people’s lives."

Narelle Laing

Community legal centres continue to play a vital role in delivering free, high-quality legal information, advice, representation, casework, and education to people facing disadvantage—including those impacted by financial hardship, family violence, homelessness, or discrimination.

In the past year, Victoria’s community legal centres delivered over 100,000 legal services, with more than 500,000 Victorians accessing online self-help legal tools. These centres not only responded to immediate legal needs but also informed powerful advocacy for long-term systemic reform.

Statement on Gender-Based Violence

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 03:09:35 GMT

Allied Justice stands with the many women in the communities of the region we serve who experience family violence or gender-based violence.

Allied Justice has been providing free legal services for 35 years and our priority client groups include:

People experiencing, or at risk of, family violence
People experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness
People residing in rural or remote areas

Collectively, these three priority groups reflect the incidence of gender-based violence which is widespread in the Allied Justice region covering 11 Local Government Areas from Bacchus Marsh to the South Australian border. Allied Justice operates on the front-line of Gender-Based Violence by providing duty lawyer services in the Specialist Family Violence Court in Ballarat, and the Magistrates’ Courts in Horsham, Ararat, St Arnaud, and Stawell. The statistics show that victims of Gender-Based Violence are overwhelmingly women, such that assisting women experiencing the effects of Gender-Based Violence is at the core of the legal and related services provided by Allied Justice. We recognise, too, that the problem affects the whole of society. As such, we also pay tribute to the many first responders, community members, and service providers who are steadfast in their support of women, and their right to be safe at home and in the community.

Allied Justice acknowledges the scale of Gender-Based Violence occurring within western Victoria and endorses that it is a first-order priority for Allied Justice. In addition to duty lawyer services, Allied Justice will work constructively with the police, courts and support services to improve the safety outcomes for women and children, and to assist them in navigating the legal system in relation to family violence.

We have recently launched our Ask for a Lawyer campaign. To find out more follow this link.