Warning: Images of deceased persons may appear | See the Yuwaalaraay / Gamilaraay pronunciation guide here
Dealing with Fines
Meet our Dealing with Fines team - Wendy Rose and Steven Dennis (Bungee). They work with clients to reduce fine debt - through collaborating with the ALS fine debt team, and a "Work Development Order" program of activities either with Dharriwaa Elders Group
Read here about our Dealing with Fines program.
We're smashing Walgett fine debt! Learn about DEG with Aboriginal Legal Service NSW ACT's nifty Yuwaya Ngarrali Dealing with Fines program - & why ACCOs are the only way a service like this can be successful. Check out the recording of our webinar info session hosted by Peta
DEG witnesses, and its staff responds to the harmful impacts of fines on our community every day. During the COVID pandemic Walgett had the highest rate of public health order fines in NSW.
The Dealing with Fines project was established in 2022 as a result of COVID. Walgett community members received the highest rates of COVID fines in NSW, and a COVID-related underspend enabled the employment of the Dealing with Fines team at the DEG. It has emerged as an exemplar of Yuwaya Ngarrali's strategy and strengths. It combines three key roles that Dharriwaa Elders Group and Yuwaya Ngarrali can effectively play: direct support to community members; collaborating with and building capability of both ACCOs and mainstream agencies; and advocacy and public engagement grounded in research.
In its first year of operation, 94 people in Walgett were supported to have their fines written off or to participate in WDO activities to clear their fines, amounting to the reduction of $178,112 worth of fine debt while enabling people to access mental health and drug and alcohol treatment and support at WAMS, and to grow skills and contribute positively to their community. These outcomes have been achieved through a strong community-led team at the DEG, along with expert support from Peta MacGillivray and now Andrea Hadaway from our YN-UNSW team, the Aboriginal Legal Service Fines team, and Legal Aid NSW. Sustained advocacy by DEG and YN and analysis of fines and policing data has helped draw attention to how fine debt locks people out of education and employment and increases criminalisation. Our advocacy also contributed to systemic efforts to have COVID fines withdrawn.