Legislative Council Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1) 55 1 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Southern Community Justice Centre Southern Community Justice Centre The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY Legislative Council Southern Community Justice Centre The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (14:52): My question is to the Attorney-General. Will the Attorney-General inform the council about the opening of the new office of the Southern Community Justice Centre? The Hon. K.J. MAHER Legislative Council Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Attorney-General Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector Special Minister of State Southern Community Justice Centre The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (14:52): I thank the honourable member for his question and I would be more than happy to. Very recently, I was honoured to help officially open the new premises of the Southern Community Justice Centre in the Colonnades Shopping Centre at Noarlunga. Southern Community Justice is just one of the three branches of Community Justice Services SA, a community legal service which also offers legal services to the Limestone Coast area from the head office of Mount Gambier and to the Riverland district from their office in Berri. Originally established in 1982 as the Noarlunga Community Legal Service, this organisation now provides critical legal services in family, criminal, employment and civil law to the southern, rural and regional parts of South Australia. I cannot overstate the importance they have in helping the people of particularly country South Australia have access to the help they need. The Southern Community Justice Centre performs services face to face not only from the offices mentioned but via outreach programs on Kangaroo Island, Marion, Murray Bridge, Victor Harbor, Strathalbyn and Yankalilla. I have been very fortunate to have visited all of their main offices, and I know the office in Berri provided much-needed critical services during the flood event just a couple of years ago. The new Southern Community Justice Centre is co-located with a number of other community services, including specialised domestic, family and sexual violence assistance. I want to thank all involved for their dedication in providing these legal services and the opening of the new purpose fit-out offices, especially Dr Ross Savvas, chair of the board, and Ms Katherine Davies, the principal solicitor and interim CEO.