LAWYERS Terence Stedman and Carolyn Buchan have called for a dedicated community legal centre for Beaudesert.
Ms Buchan was the Labor candidate for Scenic Rim in the last state election and her partner Mr Stedman last month won the Queensland Law Society Community Legal Centre Member of the Year Award as well as the Equity and Diversity – Equity Advocacy Award.
Mr Stedman said he had spent almost a decade working in a community legal centre and could see that this was something Beaudesert needed.
He said Scenic Rim residents seeking free legal advice currently had to access services by phone or travel to Brisbane, many of them at a time when they can not afford the time or expense of getting there.
“The population in this area is growing and it will grow even more given the developments in the region,” Mr Stedman said.
“Issues like debt, family law, traffic violations and neighbourhood disputes all become more common when you have more housing estates.
“Beaudesert is also getting an upgraded police station, which will probably have cells and the court will become busier with the significant growth in population.”
Ms Buchan, principal solicitor at Country to Coast Lawyers on William Street, said her firm already offers legal aid services but the entire Scenic Rim would benefit from a community legal centre in town.
“Initially it would be an after-hours legal advice service but if we get enough volunteers, solicitors and others, we can then apply for government funding,” she said.
“The aim is access to justice for everyone.”
Ms Buchan and Mr Stedman are inviting expressions of interest from professionals and community members who could help form a management committee for the community legal centre.
Mr Stedman said a community legal centre just not focus solely for people with legal issues.
“It might be that we can assist in family law matters, for example giving advice to women who are considering leaving a destructive relationship and worried about what will happen if they leave, helping them to work out their options,” he said.
“We don’t just offer advice – often we find that the best person for the job is not even a lawyer, but we can provide a referral service to make sure people get the help they need.”
