Govt-run dispute resolution services to close

Concerns are being raised around the NSW Labor government plans to close all Community Justice Centres (CJCs) in June.

CJCs provide free mediation to help people solve disagreements (or resolve disputes) without going to court.

Law Society of NSW President Brett McGrath told AAP, ‘The closure of these centres represents further erosion of access to justice which will particularly affect people in vulnerable circumstances’.

The peak body for local government in NSW went further, and is calling on Labor to reverse the decision.

Local Government NSW (LGNSW) President Mayor Phyllis Miller OAM said closure of CJCs would have ‘devastating consequences for some of the state’s most disadvantaged residents’.

‘Whether it be a dispute over fencing, overhanging branches, pets, privacy, access to land, or building/renovation works, the mediation services provided by CJCs are critical to helping communities resolve issues outside of court,’ she said.

According to dcj.nsw.gov.au, CJCs engage ‘more than 63 mediators [who are] located throughout NSW. Up to 20 staff work (full-time, part-time and casual) in our Parramatta office’. 

More than 12,000 people use the service each year in NSW, with 86 per cent willing to recommend it to others. Seventy seven centres are slated for closure.

The Canberra Times reported a government spokesman as saying that many state agencies now offer mediation as an alternative.

‘Despite mediation being the primary objective of Community Justice Centres, less than nine per cent of inquiries proceed to mediation,’ the spokesman said.

Mayor Miller added, ‘The lack of consultation with councils in reaching this decision is deeply disappointing. Late last year, LGNSW wrote to the NSW Attorney General expressing concern about reports that all CJCs would be closed from June 30, 2025’.