Our People
11 September, 2025
Roadshow educates new residents
THE Victorian Law Foundation held a legal information roadshow at Stawell Library on Wednesday for new residents to Australia.
Living and working in a new country can be exciting but also confusing, as new residents may have questions about their job, home, or what to do if something goes wrong.
The roadshow aimed to deliver those answers, as well as help with problems such as work and pay issues, renting and housing, fines and police matters, and being treated unfairly.
Presenters were Karla Randle, Regional Manager and Lawyer of Victoria Legal Aid Horsham, and Ashlyn McCurdy, Senior Lawyer of Allied Justice (formerly Ballarat and Grampians Legal Service).
Victoria Law Foundation (VLF) is a not-for-profit organisation improving understanding about the law in our lives and providing evidence and insight to improve justice for all Victorians.
VLF has served the Victorian community for over 55 years and is committed to a fair, equitable, and accessible justice for all Victorians.
VLF’s Vikki Doig said it was a knowledgeable night for the attendees.
“The session was about empowering new migrants and giving them knowledge about what a legal issue is,” Ms Doig said.
“It addressed what areas of civil law might connect with their lives, and if they do have an issue, where they go for help, and how they can solve them or start to solve them.”
Ms Doig explained what Karla Randle and Ashlyn McCurdy spoke about.
“Carla was talking about rights to civil law from employment, tenancy, fines, debt, goods and services, consumer issues, and other things like Centrelink payments,” Ms Doig said.
“Ashlyn spoke about housing, as there is a lot of interest in rentals and housing situations and talked about their rights regarding that.
“These organisations work as a good conduit. People can contact them or Allied Justice, and they can work as a triage to find the right support, even if it is non-legal support.”
The roadshow was at St Arnaud on Tuesday with young people, and there is a school program which brings the VCE legal studies curriculum to life with a speaker program and tours of local courts.
On Thursday, they held a family story time to get our youngest citizens involved and to build legal literacy from a young age with stories and songs.
Ms Doig hopes that this can grow in the community in the future.
“This is our first foray into this, so hopefully we can now bed this into the community now that we have connections here and people start to get an appetite for this information,” she said.
“The local services that are based here can keep these connections going and act as a catalyst for ongoing conversations, clinics, events, and activities to educate the community about their rights, making sure everyone feels happy, safe, and supported.”
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