Legal Aid NSW officer due at Cowra PCYC on 6 July
Legal Aid NSW’s Aboriginal Field Officer programme will visit Cowra on 6 July during NAIDOC Week, with an officer due at the local PCYC at 40 Young Rd, Cowra.
More than a dozen Aboriginal Field Officers travel thousands of kilometres across NSW to reach 38 remote Aboriginal communities and promote access to justice.
The programme started with two people in 2011 and has grown to 16 officers across NSW in 2026, its 15th year.
Since Legal Aid NSW expanded the programme in 2022, the share of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients rose from 21.3% in 2021-2022 to 25.5% in 2024-2025.
Cowra PCYC visit on 6 July
AFO programme Coordinator Harmoni Dennis said the Central West would benefit from the visit because First Nations people make up about 8% of the region’s population.
“The AFOs work alongside solicitors to address the client’s socio-legal and non-legal needs like issues with housing or money. They also engage with community members and Elders, liaise between solicitors and clients, attend court list days and advice clinics and educate people about the law,” Ms Dennis said.
According to Legal Aid NSW, the programme was developed after recommendations from research by Chris Cunneen into the legal needs of Aboriginal people in NSW.
Ms Dennis said AFOs help people get legal assistance earlier in regional NSW by building trust and reducing barriers in their own communities.
Orange-based Aboriginal Field Officer Rhys Draper will support the Cowra region during the 6 July visit as part of the Central West outreach.
“Demand for help has been significant. I have seen many First Nations people struggling with homelessness and difficulty finding stable housing in the region. It will be great to be able to help Central West residents,” Mr Draper said.
In addition to court list days, AFOs attend advice clinics, liaise between solicitors and clients, and work on housing or money issues.
Meanwhile, the Cowra stop highlights how Legal Aid NSW has expanded the service from a two-person team in 2011 to 16 officers covering communities across NSW in 2026.
