Latest news with #VictorianAboriginalLegalService
The Guardian
13-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Cost of crime crackdown criticised as Victoria prepares for influx of prisoners with huge jail spend
The cost of Victoria's crime crackdown is beginning to emerge, as the financially strained state government faces criticism over a $727m plan to expand prison capacity as the number of people on remand rises. The premier, Jacinta Allan, visited the state's new Western Plains Correctional Centre on Tuesday to announce next week's state budget would include funding to open nearly 1,000 new adult prison beds and 88 youth justice beds, along with hundreds of new corrections staff. Allan told reporters the increased capacity was needed following changes to the state's bail laws, which came into effect in March. 'Our tough new bail laws, they are working. We are seeing an increase on the number of alleged offenders on remand,' she said. 'We're backing that with more beds and more corrections staff.' Government data for April shows a 22% rise in adults on remand and a 71% increase in young people compared with the same time last year. Nerita Waight, chief executive of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (Vals), said it was 'flawed, deeply troubling and misguided' to 'celebrate' growing remand numbers. 'This does not equate to community safety and only causes further distress, trauma and cycles of harm,' she said. Waight said Vals' dedicated youth legal practice, Balit Ngulu, has seen a 300% increase in young people held on remand since June last year. For Vals' adult clients, there has been a 216% increase. 'In an already tight fiscal environment, today's announcement shows that premier Allan's invested in expanding prisons and not programmatic solutions that would create a safer Victoria for all of us, not just some of us,' she said. Jesuit Social Services' chief executive Julie Edwards said the money was being spent at the 'wrong end of the system' and 'won't do anything' to prevent crime. 'We're really concerned by the news that the Victorian government is committing well over half a billion dollars of new funding to a costly, ineffective prison system which is at odds with all of the evidence about how to create stronger, more cohesive communities with less crime and fewer victims,' Edwards said. Maggie Munn, first nations director at the Human Rights Law Centre, said the announcement was 'shameful' and urged more investment in housing, health and legal services instead. Sarah Toohey from the Community Housing Industry Association Victoria said $727m would build more than 1,400 community housing properties for those in need, including people released from prison into homelessness, of which 40% are likely to reoffend. 'Investing in long term housing … is both crime prevention and a cost saving to government in prison spending,' Toohey said. Asked if more funding for crime prevention would be in the budget, Allan said: 'We will have much more to say between now and next Tuesday.' The $727m figure also matches the amount announced on Monday to 'switch on' the Metro Tunnel project and introduce high-frequency services on the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines. Greens leader, Ellen Sandell, said the government had got their priorities 'all wrong' in the upcoming budget. The $1bn Western Plains Correctional Centre, which has sat empty since it was completed in 2023, will open in July. It will replace the ageing Port Phillip prison, which is scheduled to close by the end of the year, and once fully operational will house up to 1,300 inmates. Opposition police spokesperson David Southwick said the 1,000 new beds announced by the government only offset those being closed at Port Phillip. Other beds have also been closed at other prisons due to mould infestations, he added. 'They're throwing taxpayer money at the mess without a real plan to fix it,' he said. The government also introduced new legislation on Tuesday to mandate additional jail time for prisoners who assault corrections staff.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Family violence and Koori court jobs among scores identified for cuts at Victorian magistrates court
The Victorian magistrates court is moving to shed more staff, with family violence roles and eight jobs in the Koori court among its latest proposed cuts, in a move the state's Aboriginal legal service has described as a 'slap in the face'. A 'change proposal' document, seen by Guardian Australia, shows the court is planning to cut 48 roles across its programs, services and support teams, to be replaced with just 35 new roles – a net loss of 13 staff. It follows plans to slash 24 jobs from the magistrates court's corporate services department, reported by Guardian Australia earlier this month, as part of the government's efforts to cut about 3,000 positions from the public service to reign in its budget. Some of the roles proposed for removal include the Koori court's manager, project manager, two team leaders and an administrative worker. The court, which has been running since 2002, provides an alternative setting for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who plead guilty to low-level criminal offences. The Umalek Balit program, which supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people dealing with family violence matters, would also lose three senior staff – its principal practitioner, practice manager and women's practice follows the government's introduction of tougher bail laws, which are expected to lead to an influx of new cases coming before the magistrates court. Ali Besiroglu, head of legal services at the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (Vals), said he was 'shocked and dismayed' by the plan to cut staff at the Koori court. Related: What the case of a young man accused of violent crimes reveals about Victoria's new bail laws 'At a time when we are expecting a significant rise in the number of Aboriginal people being denied bail under harsher new bail laws, maintaining culturally capable legal assistance through the Koori court is more critical than ever.' Besiroglu said access to the court was protected under Victoria's charter of human rights and that cutting staff was a 'direct attack' on those rights and a 'profound act of disrespect' to the elders involved. He also said Vals had been calling for the Koori court's powers to be expanded to include bail hearings, which made the proposed cuts a 'slap in the face'. 'These cuts will have devastating impacts on First Nations communities, making the criminal legal system even more culturally unsafe at a time when the number of First Nations people being held on remand is expected to rapidly increase,' Besiroglu said. The plan includes merging the existing teams into a new 'Koori justice team', which would handle the design, oversight and improvement of court programs and cultural support for First Nations people. Only two new roles would be created under this change. Thirteen jobs related to family violence services are also set to be cut, with the court pointing to the recent completion of 12 specialist family violence courts across the state as the reason. The document, dated 9 April and proposing a 1 July start, admits staff numbers would drop. It said the court would manage with 'reprioritisation' of work, 'streamlining' tasks and 'removing duplication'. It added that the changes 'come at a time when the Victorian public sector is facing fiscal challenges' and the new structure would be more 'sustainable'. The shadow attorney general, Liberal MP Michael O'Brien, said the proposal was 'reckless and shortsighted' and should not go ahead. 'With the supposed 'tougher' bail laws now in force, we know there will be even more demand on our courts. Cutting another 13 vital staff, on top of the 24 lost earlier this month, will only make it harder for the justice system to keep up,' O'Brien said. 'The hardworking staff at the magistrates court deserve better, and Victorians deserve a court system that is properly resourced to deliver justice swiftly and fairly.' A court spokesperson said in a statement it was committed to cultural safety and maintaining Koori family violence expertise in the courtroom, which 'is not being reduced as part of the proposed changes'. It said the changes were still only proposals and that staff were encouraged to take part in the consultation process. The spokesperson said the court 'is proposing some organisational changes aimed at positioning the court to continue to be effective in our service to the people of Victoria and deliver on our strategic goals, while responding to the current fiscal environment'. A Victorian government spokesperson said the court was responsible for determining staffing arrangements and 'they advise there will be no cut to court-based frontline staff who deliver Aboriginal-specific programs – nor will there be any diminished services'.
The Guardian
28-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Family violence and Koori court jobs among scores identified for cuts at Victorian magistrates court
The Victorian magistrates court is moving to shed more staff, with family violence roles and eight jobs in the Koori court among its latest proposed cuts, in a move the state's Aboriginal legal service has described as a 'slap in the face'. A 'change proposal' document, seen by Guardian Australia, shows the court is planning to cut 48 roles across its programs, services and support teams, to be replaced with just 35 new roles – a net loss of 13 staff. It follows plans to slash 24 jobs from the magistrates court's corporate services department, reported by Guardian Australia earlier this month, as part of the government's efforts to cut about 3,000 positions from the public service to reign in its budget. Some of the roles proposed for removal include the Koori court's manager, project manager, two team leaders and an administrative worker. The court, which has been running since 2002, provides an alternative setting for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who plead guilty to low-level criminal offences. The Umalek Balit program, which supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people dealing with family violence matters, would also lose three senior staff – its principal practitioner, practice manager and women's practice manager. Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter It follows the government's introduction of tougher bail laws, which are expected to lead to an influx of new cases coming before the magistrates court. Ali Besiroglu, head of legal services at the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (Vals), said he was 'shocked and dismayed' by the plan to cut staff at the Koori court. 'At a time when we are expecting a significant rise in the number of Aboriginal people being denied bail under harsher new bail laws, maintaining culturally capable legal assistance through the Koori court is more critical than ever.' Besiroglu said access to the court was protected under Victoria's charter of human rights and that cutting staff was a 'direct attack' on those rights and a 'profound act of disrespect' to the elders involved. He also said Vals had been calling for the Koori court's powers to be expanded to include bail hearings, which made the proposed cuts a 'slap in the face'. 'These cuts will have devastating impacts on First Nations communities, making the criminal legal system even more culturally unsafe at a time when the number of First Nations people being held on remand is expected to rapidly increase,' Besiroglu said. The plan includes merging the existing teams into a new 'Koori justice team', which would handle the design, oversight and improvement of court programs and cultural support for First Nations people. Only two new roles would be created under this change. Thirteen jobs related to family violence services are also set to be cut, with the court pointing to the recent completion of 12 specialist family violence courts across the state as the reason. The document, dated 9 April and proposing a 1 July start, admits staff numbers would drop. Sign up to Afternoon Update: Election 2025 Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key election campaign stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion It said the court would manage with 'reprioritisation' of work, 'streamlining' tasks and 'removing duplication'. It added that the changes 'come at a time when the Victorian public sector is facing fiscal challenges' and the new structure would be more 'sustainable'. The shadow attorney general, Liberal MP Michael O'Brien, said the proposal was 'reckless and shortsighted' and should not go ahead. 'With the supposed 'tougher' bail laws now in force, we know there will be even more demand on our courts. Cutting another 13 vital staff, on top of the 24 lost earlier this month, will only make it harder for the justice system to keep up,' O'Brien said. 'The hardworking staff at the magistrates court deserve better, and Victorians deserve a court system that is properly resourced to deliver justice swiftly and fairly.' A court spokesperson said in a statement it was committed to cultural safety and maintaining Koori family violence expertise in the courtroom, which 'is not being reduced as part of the proposed changes'. It said the changes were still only proposals and that staff were encouraged to take part in the consultation process. The spokesperson said the court 'is proposing some organisational changes aimed at positioning the court to continue to be effective in our service to the people of Victoria and deliver on our strategic goals, while responding to the current fiscal environment'. A Victorian government spokesperson said the court was responsible for determining staffing arrangements and 'they advise there will be no cut to court-based frontline staff who deliver Aboriginal-specific programs – nor will there be any diminished services'.
The Guardian
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
In full bloom: fashionable fun at Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show
At the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton on Friday, flowers were in the air, on display and worn by thousands of people for the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show. 'We're celebrating gardens and flowers here,' says the show's director, Trent Cornish, who created Floral Fridays. 'Wearing florals makes you just feel fun and free. Like you don't take yourself too seriously.' Attenders were invited to wear florals in exchange for discounts at the flower market and best-dressed prizes. 'We want the audience to feel like they can dress up, create moments and take photos in front of the lavender,' he says. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Among garden displays and stands of tulips and sunflowers, bright pink petal patterns, purple paisleys and swirls of green leaves could be seen. Whether adorning a blouse or a dress, the floral prints were (almost) always accessorised with a satchel and sensible sandals or sneakers. The looks were a welcome deviation from the highly curated, borrowed and designer-sponsored 'street style' that has come to dominate local fashion weeks. The down-to-earth appeal also offered a stark contrast to the heel and fascinator set usually seen at the races. Sue Brown, a runner-up in the best dressed competition who travelled to the show from Adelaide, decoupaged worms, bees and flowers on to her red linen shirt dress. 'I'm a keen gardener and I knit and embroider so this is my in-between project,' she says. 'All my art is about flowers.' Carol Green, a model and retired ballerina from Preston, wore head-to-toe Balenciaga in a matching print. 'I bought the boots in 2017, they were my first expensive purchase. Recently, I found the skirt and the top for 70% off and I thought I don't need it, but I actually do need it!' she says. 'I don't normally wear florals, but I love this print, and for the flower show I think it's perfect.' The show has been running for 30 years and for many, attendance at the Unesco heritage listed Carlton Gardens is a tradition shared between generations. 'I'm here spending time with my sister and two nieces,' says Brown. 'Gardening is a connection to my mum, her sisters and my grandmother too.' Wearing a pair of Gorman pants covered in orange, yellow, pink and red flowers with a cream blouse and aqua sneakers, Michelle Downs, who works for the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service explains that she wears florals and gardens as a way to alleviate the pressures of her work. 'My garden is my solace and my haven,' she says. 'I'm in court every day dealing with pretty traumatic stuff and believe it or not, I wear this stuff to court.' She explains her hope is that her sartorial choices make her client's experience less intimidating. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion Michelle Jokic, an after-hours child protection worker, describes florals and gardening as a form of escapism and self expression. She says her bright pink long-sleeved top with a swirling floral pattern is a way to be in a beautiful colourful world. 'When I'm wearing pink and feeling feminine, I'm getting in touch with that love, that beautiful love.' Unsurprisingly, a love of flowers is the driver of most people's visit. 'I would spend my last dollar on flowers,' says Leesa Thornthwaite, in a cobalt blue floral jumpsuit, also by Gorman. 'Everything bright and practical shoes is my regular attire. It makes me smile.'
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Yahoo
Family fights for change ahead of prison death inquest
The family of an Aboriginal man who died in custody in 2022 hopes his inquest will bring about change in the justice system. Clinton Austin, a 38-year-old Gunditjmara and Wiradjuri man, died at Loddon Prison in Victoria on September 11, 2022. Mr Austin's brother Shaun delivered an emotional statement outside the Coroners Court of Victoria on Monday, ahead of the inquest. "I will not stop fighting for you," he said. "I will fight to make a change, any change possible, not only for Aboriginal people going through the justice system, but anyone who has to go through it. "I know that's what Clinton would want." His family has said he was a proud father and artist who had a big heart and wanted to be an art teacher. "His heart was for his son and his art," the family said in a statement in 2022. Mr Austin had already served his two-year non-parole period in prison when he died, he was the second Indigenous person to die in custody in Victoria within the space of a month. Almost 600 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have died in police or prison custody since the Royal Commission into Indigenous Deaths in Custody handed down 339 recommendations in 1991. Many of these recommendations have not been fully implemented. Shortly after Mr Austin's death, the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, which is helping the family in the coronial process raised concerns about the quality of healthcare provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in prisons in the state. On Monday, flanked by family and supporters wearing shirts featuring a photo of Mr Austin, Shaun Austin said he hoped his brother's inquest would lead to "meaningful and significant change". "I believe that my brother deserved better from the justice system and it failed him," he said. The inquest is scheduled to continue for three weeks. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14
