The milestone event took place over two days on 23-24 April at the Rivervale Community Centre in Perth.
It’s the first time since the service began in 2011 for 100 Open Days to take place within a 12-month period.
The Open Days, held all over the State, are a one-stop-shop for official documentation and administrative services that can usually take months to resolve, especially in remote areas.
“In some cases, it changes a person’s entire life trajectory,” Reconciliation Director Emma Roebuck said.
“While this is a culturally appropriate program designed to provide additional support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and improve outcomes for remote communities, everyone is welcome to use the service.”
The Open Days are also regularly held in the Perth metropolitan area.
Assistance is on hand from agencies including the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Sheriff’s Office, Centrelink, Department of Transport, Legal Aid, and the Australian Electoral Commission.
Staff help clients with driver’s licences, birth certificates, tax returns, fines, and Medicare and concession cards, as well as gaining access to benefits and legal advice.
In the first nine months of this financial year, 2,935 people have attended Aboriginal Justice Open Days, 730 birth certificates were issued, and 682 WA Photo ID Card applications processed.
The Open Days also enabled clients to prevent escalating involvement with the justice system and steer clear of penalties and fine debt.
More than $2.2 million fines were converted, with 422 people set up with time-to-pay arrangements in the first three quarters of 2023-2024.
Additionally, 271 driver’s licence suspensions were lifted, 153 people passed their practical driving assessment, and 206 took driving theory tests.
“It makes a huge difference. People walk out with smiles, they’re really happy they have ID,” Sheriff’s Community Development Officer Jo Woods said.
One client using the services at a recent Open Day in Armadale to renew her driver’s licence, Faye, said she wants more people to know about the program.
“It’s friendly and very welcoming and they understand where you’re at,” she said.
“It’s really important that we have these things in our community. It just makes life so much easier.”
For more information, visit the Aboriginal Services Open Days page.
