Lawyers from Legal Aid NSW have been on the road, offering advice and information to bushfire-affected communities in northern NSW.
Lismore-based civil lawyer, April Blair visited the towns of Tenterfield and Drake, while Coffs Harbour-based lawyer, Karen Fox travelled to Dorrigo and Dundurrabin, two townships under threat from the Bees Nest bushfire, a 100,000-hectare blaze.
“It is so difficult to describe just how dry it is up there,” Ms Blair said.
“And dusty – there was still so much smoke in the air!”
She said she attended packed community meetings alongside representatives of other agencies and organisations providing disaster assistance including Local Land Services, the Office of Emergency Management and the Rural Adversity Mental Health Program.
She said Legal Aid NSW had a dedicated disaster response service and provided free, independent information and advice to help communities recover after natural disasters.
“Typically, we provide advice about insurance claims, Centrelink benefits, NSW government grants, financial hardship, tenancy law and workers’ rights and entitlements,” Ms Blair said.
“Legal issues that might arise following a bushfire, for example insurance-related disputes, won’t always be obvious in the immediate aftermath of the disaster,” she said.
“That’s why we will continue to provide advice to these communities in the months to come.”
Ms Blair said anyone who had been affected by the bushfires and needed advice about their rights in relation to insurance, time off work, or temporary accommodation could call the LawAccess NSW Disaster Response Hotline on 1800 801 529.
