Statements
Aboriginal Legal Service—Post-fire support
Brief ministerial statement
Dr Tony Buti (Armadale—Attorney General) (1:04 pm): I rise to inform the house of the support provided by the Cook Labor government to the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia following a fire at its Perth headquarters. In March, the Aboriginal Legal Service's Aberdeen Street office was devastated by a large-scale fire. The fire destroyed the ground floor and left significant heat and smoke damage in the remainder of the building. The fire rendered the building unusable and inaccessible. Laptops, printers, court robes, library materials, office furniture and general supplies were among the things destroyed. As we can all appreciate, these are critical to the running of any organisation. Other agencies, including the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Legal Aid Western Australia and the Department of Justice, have stepped up to support the Aboriginal Legal Service, offering the loan of meeting rooms, office spaces, library materials and court robes.
The Aboriginal Legal Service acted quickly to modify its operations following the fire, securing temporary office space and sourcing necessary equipment. However, this comes with immediate expenses and, as a not-for-profit organisation, any cash reserves or services it may have are already committed to frontline services and program delivery. Although it is insured, it will take some time for the Aboriginal Legal Service's claim to be assessed and settled. In recognition of this, I have approved a $250,000 act-of-grace payment for the Aboriginal Legal Service to address urgent costs in recovering from the fire and to enable the continuance of critical service delivery.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation for the essential services that the Aboriginal Legal Service delivers to Western Australians who are experiencing disadvantage and vulnerability. I thank the service's board and staff for their continued dedication at this extremely challenging time.
