ARC Justice

27/05/2026

🚶🏽‍♀️ Walking together for reconciliation 🚶🏽‍♂️

This Friday in Shepparton, community members are invited to take part in Lotjpa Yahna Yapenyeyepuk: Talk and Walk Together, a guided cultural walk on Yorta Yorta Country as part of National Reconciliation Week.

The 2.7km walk will be guided by Michael Bourke and begins at Western Park Playground before finishing at the William Cooper statue in Queens Gardens, followed by morning tea at Shepparton Library.

In the words of Pastor Sir Doug Nicholls: “We want to walk with you. We don’t wish to walk alone.”

📍 Friday, May 29
📍 Meet 9.50am for a 10am start
📍 Western Park Playground, Shepparton

Registrations are free but required as places are limited.

More info and bookings here: https://events.humanitix.com/lotjpa-yahna-yapenyeyepuk

Reconciliation Australia

26/05/2026

🖤💛❤️ Reconciliation Week begins ❤️💛🖤

National Reconciliation Week starts today, with communities across the country coming together for the National Walk for Truth.

You can watch live from 11am today (May 27) as Kerrupmara Gunditjmara man Travis Lovett and the National Walk for Truth arrives at Parliament House in Canberra. https://www.youtube.com/live/WkEwJXUWbT0

This week is a reminder that reconciliation is not symbolic. It’s about truth-telling, listening and action.

There are also several local events happening across the week, including tonight’s launch of the Central Victorian Indigenous Film Festival (CVIFF) and the announcement of the Koori Youth Flick Fest winners.

We encourage our community to get involved, listen and learn.

Reconciliation Victoria

26/05/2026

🖤 National Sorry Day 🖤

Today, ARC Justice acknowledges National Sorry Day and honours Stolen Generations survivors, their families and communities.

National Sorry Day recognises the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were forcibly removed from their families under past government policies and the ongoing impacts those policies continue to have today.

As part of the community legal sector, we know justice must include truth-telling, accountability and action. We also know the impacts of trauma and unfair systems don't disappear over time.

This year’s theme, “From Sorry to Action”, calls on all of us to keep pushing for meaningful change.

26/05/2026

💡 Helping people tackle bills before things spiral 💡

Last week, as part of Victorian Law Week, ARC Justice joined a Bring Your Bills Day event at Bendigo Family & Financial Services Inc..

More than 120 people came through the doors to get help understanding bills, payment plans, hardship options and where to go for support.

These kinds of events matter because financial stress can quickly become overwhelming when people don’t know where to start.

We loved working alongside local partners to provide practical, face-to-face support for the Bendigo community.

📸 Pictured from left: Consumer Action Law Centre First Nations Engagement Lead Jackie Watkins, ARC Justice lawyer Gabrielle Ashman, Consumer Action Law Centre financial counsellor Nicola Forrest and ARC Justice Managing Lawyer (Housing Justice) Anna Dorevitch.

25/05/2026

🎓 Talking law with young people 🎓

ARC Justice last week joined Victoria Law Foundation "Regional Law Talks" at Bendigo TAFE across two sessions with VCE legal studies and diploma students.

Our Managing Lawyers, Anna Dorevitch (Housing Justice, pictured) and Carolyn Davey (Civil Justice), and Research and Education Lead Leah Slattery spoke about the role community legal centres play as rights-based organisations and how laws can sometimes be outdated, inconsistent or still evolving.

Students also took part in a legal quiz exploring some of Victoria’s more unusual laws and what they reveal about how legal systems change over time.

Thanks to Victoria Law Foundation for having us and to the students for bringing plenty of thoughtful discussion to both sessions.

25/05/2026

🚨 Important information for victim survivors 🚨

A new national emergency alert system, called AusAlert, will be tested across Australia at 2pm on Monday, July 27.

During the test, compatible phones, tablets and smart watches will make a loud alert sound, even if devices are on silent or “do not disturb”.

The alert may stay active for up to an hour.

People with hidden or secondary phones may want to plan ahead.

🚨 To avoid the alert sounding:
• Turn the device off before 2pm, or
• Put it on aeroplane mode at least one hour beforehand

Please share this information with anyone who may need it.

21/05/2026

💫 Office closures today 💫

Our offices in Bendigo and Shepparton will be closed briefly today for an all-staff event.

In Shepparton, the office will be closed from 10am and re-open at 11am.

The Bendigo office will close at 9.30am and re-open at 11.30am.

You can still leave us a voicemail or send an email today and our team will get back to you as soon as possible once we re-open.

Thanks for your patience and understanding.

20/05/2026

🌿 Regional communities are still living the impacts of disaster 🌿

ARC Justice yesterday hosted Victorian Minister for Climate Action Lily D'Ambrosio MP and Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards MP at our Bendigo office for discussions about disaster recovery, climate resilience and access to justice in regional Victoria.

The visit also included representatives from the and ARC Justice executive staff.

Floods, fires and other climate-related disasters continue to leave lasting impacts across our communities, long after the immediate emergency response ends.

Thanks to Minister D’Ambrosio, Maree Edwards and all involved for taking the time to hear directly from regional communities and frontline services.



Image 1: From left, ARC Justice CEO Damian Stock with Bendigo West MP and Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly Maree Edwards and Victorian Minister for Climate Action Lily D’Ambrosio.

Image 2: From left, Federation of Community Legal Centres Director of Policy and Advocacy Daniel Scoullar, ARC Justice CEO Damian Stock and ARC Justice Strategy and Impact Director Kate Clohesy speak with Bendigo West MP and Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly Maree Edwards and Victorian Minister for Climate Action Lily D’Ambrosio.

20/05/2026

🌼 Office closure notice 🌼

Our offices in Bendigo and Shepparton will be closed briefly tomorrow for an all-staff event.

In Shepparton, the office will be closed from 10am and re-open at 11am.

The Bendigo office will close at 9.30am and re-open at 11.30am.

You can always leave us a voicemail or send an email while we’re closed and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible once we re-open.

Thanks for your patience and understanding.

20/05/2026

19/05/2026

📚 Storytime, but make it Law Week 📚

Victorian Law Week is hosting a special Law Week Storytime for children and families.

📅 Wednesday, May 20
⏰ 10.30am-11.15am
📍 Bendigo Library

Expect stories, songs and activities exploring fairness, kindness and community in a way kids can understand.

This isn’t an ARC Justice event, but it’s a lovely local addition to the Law Week program.

More info:
https://www.viclawweek.org.au/program/law-week-storytime