Community Law Centres | Engage Aotearoa

Sixth Months More Funding For Community Law Centres

Nicola Owen from Auckland Disability Law writes ….

Dear Supporters

The Ministry of Justice has told us that funding for all Community Law Centres including Auckland Disability Law will now continue until December 2013.

Community Law Centre contracts had been due to expire on 30 June 2013.

We are obviously pleased to be able to tell you that we are now able to keep providing free legal services to disabled people in the Auckland region for an extra six months.

However, we know you will be concerned that this is only a short term solution.

Before Christmas we wrote to Justice Minister Judith Collins to thank her for her commitment to Auckland Disability Law and to acknowledge our shared aspiration that our services could be extended nationally.

The Minister wrote back to advise us that her officials will keep working on plans for the long term future of Community Law Centres. We hope to hear more about that when we meet with the Ministry and all the other Community Law Centres in Wellington in early April.

In the meantime, we urge you to continue to support your local Community Law Centre, and to stay in touch for updates. Your lobbying last year certainly made a difference. It is essential that we continue to remind our funders of the need for specialist direct community legal services for disabled people, and that these services should be available across New Zealand.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Nga Mihi,

Nicola

Nicola Owen
Development Manager
Auckland Disability Law
Phone 09 257 5140
Fax 09 275 4693
Mobile 0274575140
email info@adl.org.nz
www.aucklanddisabilitylaw.org.nz

Update on Cuts to Community Law Centres

Less than two weeks to go!

The Ministry of Justice has said that it will stop consulting with Community Law Centres by 1 August. That makes the next two weeks a really important time to explain to the Ministry exactly why we need direct specialist legal services.

Here’s what you can do to help:

Come to the “Save Disability Law” public meeting

1pm – 3pm on Monday 30^th July 2012
Western Springs Community Garden Hall, 956 Great North Road

RSVP by phone 09 257 5140 or email info@adl.org.nz

Venue is wheelchair accessible and NZ Sign Language interpreters have been booked. Please tell us if you have any other access or dietary requirements.

Please tell your whanau, friends and workmates to come along too.

Check out the media coverage

Radio interview: http://www.planetaudio.org.nz/takeitfromus
Mental Health Foundation – press release
http://www.mentalhealth.org.nz/page/1206-media-releases-2012+mental-health-foundation-joins-the-campaign-to-save-auckland-disability-law
CP Society website: www.cpsoc.org.nz
Engage Aotearoa article on website: www.engagenz.co.nz/?p=2909

It’s not too late to sign the open letter to Justice Minister Judith Collins

How to sign:

Email your name to info@adl.org.nz and they will add you as an email signatory to our list. If your organisation has not yet signed, ask them to support ADL.

If you are signing on behalf of an organisation, please include your logo.

Post it to Auckland Disability Law, PO Box 43 201, Mangere, Auckland

Fax it back to ADL on 09 275 4693 or scan it and email to info@adl.org.nz

Finally, you can print it out and post it directly to Minister of Justice, Judith Collins http://www.beehive.govt.nz/minister/judith-collins

What else you can do

You can write your own letter to Minister of Justice Judith Collins or to the Minister for Disability Issues, Hon Tariana Turia.

Lobby your local MP, Councillor or Local Board

You can lobby, write to or talk to your Local MP. Click link below for list of MPs http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/MPP/MPs/MPs/
Click here to find your local board (Auckland Council): http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/AboutCouncil/representativesbodies/LocalBoards/Pages/Findyourwardandlocalboard.aspx
Let ADL know how your communications with them were received.

Write to the newspapers, or put out your own press release

Contact ADL for further information

Follow on Facebook

Search and click the ‘like’ button on the Auckland Disability Law Facebook page

Huge thanks to the more than one hundred individuals and all these groups and organisations that have signed so far:

Altus Enterprises
Auckland Action Against Poverty
Auckland Branch of the Association of Blind Citizens of New Zealand
Auckland Disability Providers network
CCS Disability Action
Chair, Homeworks Trust
Citizens Against Privatisation
Community Law Canterbury
DPA Dunedin
DSAG Disability Strategic Advisory Group – Auckland Council
Employment Dispute Solutions
Engage Aotearoa
Green Party of New Zealand
Justice Action Group
Kaitaia Community House
Mana Tangata Turi O Aotearoa
Mangere Community Law Centre
National Secretary behal of New Zealand Public Serrvices Association
Niu Ola Trust
People First
PHAB Pasifika
PSA Deaf and Disabled Members
Pukenga Consultancy
Rotorua District Community Law Centre
Service and Food Workers Union
Socialist Aotearoa
Tamaki Ngati Kapo inc
Taranaki Community Law
Te Roopu Waiora Trust
The Asian Network Inc.
The Auckland Deaf Christian Fellowship
Unite Union
Youthlaw

Previous media coverage:

Herald article www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10817730
Nicola being interviewed on Checkpoint last week: http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2524294/auckland-disability-law-fights-against-closure

Further Information

If you require any further information or you are able to help the campaign in any way, please contact us:

Nicola Owen

Development Manager

Auckland Disability Law

Phone 09 257 5140
Fax 09 275 4693
Mobile 0274575140
email info@adl.org.nz
www.aucklanddisabilitylaw.org.nz

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Tag Archives: Community Law Centres