A Western Australian Aboriginal legal organisation has opened a new headquarters in Perth, thanks to $3.3 million from the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation.
Aboriginal Family Legal Services (AFLS), which provides free legal assistance to First Nations people experiencing family violence or sexual assault, officially opened its new digs on Whadjuk Nyoongar land in Rivervale on Thursday.
AFLS chief executive Corina Martin said the opening marked an important chapter in the organisation's journey to provide permanent accessible and culturally safe legal services to Indigenous communities.
She said the new office would allow the not-for-profit organisation to strengthen its outreach across the metropolitan area, build its capacity, and continue to support the regional offices and staff with their critical work.
"We are deeply grateful to the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation for their support, and we look forward to the future impact this space will have in amplifying our efforts to address family and domestic violence and support those in need," she said.
Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation chief executive Joe Morrison said AFLS' new permanent base was essential for the team to continue providing valuable support to vulnerable community members.
"This is more than just a building," he said. "It's a place where the dedicated workers of AFLS come together, unified, in the battle against family violence and sexual assault.
"This place will not only support AFLS in their journey, it will also impact generations of Indigenous peoples in the years to come.
"I look forward to seeing what the AFLS team will achieve in their new space, and importantly, the outcomes that will benefit the community".
The AFLS was established in 2010 and is the largest service provider in Australia under the Family Violence Prevention Legal Service program.
The AFLS oversees seven regions across WA, which includes 30 remote townships and First Nations communities across the West and East Kimberley, Gascoyne, Midwest, Goldfields, Pilbara and Perth.
Around 45 per cent of the staff employed by AFLS across Western Australia are First Nations people, with four more Indigenous staff set to join the new Perth office.
