FOR Lola Craigie, her role as Aboriginal field officer at the new Legal Aid NSW office in Moree is much more than a seat at a desk.

Lola is a Moree local, a proud Kamilaroi woman, and will work alongside solicitor-in-charge Haney Cho, crime solicitor Eddie Stewart and office manager Felicity Curtis.

Lola and Felicity are the main contacts for clients and will help direct them to the right place within Legal Aid.

Haney will manage the team, with Eddie providing in-person advice and representation for clients at Moree Local Court and Children’s Court.

All staff members at the new Auburn Street office are passionate about their roles – the in-house service has been a long time coming to Moree.

Previously, Legal Aid provided telephone advice and outreach services on a fly-in, fly-out basis.

Clients can now seek legal help from a permanent, physical location. They are able to attend the office or contact the office and be assisted by staff to access the support most appropriate to their needs.

Lola has worked for Legal Aid NSW for 16 years, as part of the Family Law Division, and also spent two years as the Indigenous family liaison officer at the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.

She is the much-needed bridge between legal Aid NSW and the community – the vital link between culture and the system – and dedicated to helping First Nations people to access legal help.

“Beyond the tasks, my role is really about relationships,” Lola said.

“It’s about earning trust and showing up consistently. It’s about making sure that when an Aboriginal person walks into Legal Aid – or into one of our outreach clinics – they are met with understanding, respect and genuine care.

“As a Moree local and Kamilaroi woman I am proud to connect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mob with culturally-safe legal help, knowing that doing so will help improve outcomes for them,” she said.

“I am committed to continuing that work, to listening deeply, to speak up when needed, and to ensuring our services keep improving for Aboriginal people—not just here in Moree, but across the region.”

As Aboriginal field officer, Lola is the main point of contact for Aboriginal clients.

“I will connect mob with the right people within Legal Aid NSW,” she said.

This includes sitting with clients and explaining the legal process, and organising outreach in remote Aboriginal areas like Boggabilla and Mungindi.

“I’ll be working closely with local organisations, Elders and community leaders to make sure our services are culturally safe,” Lola said.

“Having an office presence in Moree will help to ensure the 22 per cent of Moree locals who are Aboriginal have culturally-safe support available to them on the ground,” she said.

Solicitor-in-charge Haney Cho is passionate about making a difference in a regional area.

She is an experienced family lawyer and accredited specialist in Family Law, with a passion for early access to care-and-protection legal advice.

Haney has worked at Legal Aid for nearly a decade in crime and family law roles at numerous locations, including Campbelltown, Newcastle, Gosford, Parramatta and Wollongong.

She is a compassionate, principled leader who leads by example and is known for maintaining strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

“We are happy and excited to have a greater physical presence in Moree, and are now able to offer more of our services face-to-face,” Haney said.

“Legal Aid NSW heard from the community that they wanted a permanent office to better meet legal demand and we are pleased to deliver on this. We look forward to working together with existing services to meet the legal needs of the community.

“One of the biggest benefits of having an office in Moree is being able to offer more in-person services to the community,” Haney said.

“We have a criminal law advice clinic and criminal law team based in the office and will also be able to appropriately refer clients to a broader range of services provided by Legal Aid NSW.

“These include criminal matters, family matters involving children or a relationship breakdown, or civil matters where they may be having trouble with a fundamental need like housing, income support or access to health and disability supports,” she said.

“For civil law and family law matters, people will be able to drop into the office or call and speak with our office manager and Aboriginal field officer to be connected to the right service.”

Crime solicitor Eddie Stewart is a much-travelled lawyer who recently relocated to Moree to take up his new role at Legal Aid NSW’s Auburn Street office.

He’s travelled extensively and seen much of the country, and has plenty of places he calls home – and looks forward to making Moree the next.

Outside of work, Eddie enjoys hiking, reading and finding all the best local spots to catch up with friends.

“Moving to Moree and being a part of the new legal aid office is a wonderful privilege,” Eddie said.

“I have loved every minute of getting to know people in the local community, and I look forward to contributing to that through my work as a criminal lawyer.

“I hope our office extends its influence beyond the strictly legal work that we do, and that we can establish ourselves as one of the many organisations that make this community special,” he said.

Newly-appointed office manager Felicity Curtis has called Moree home for more than 30 years.

She has dedicated the past 14 years of her professional life to supporting her local community, working with a local organisation in a range of roles.

Felicity takes with her to the new office a strong foundation of experience in service delivery, community engagement and management.

“Joining the Legal Aid team has been an amazing experience so far,” Felicity said.

“I am really looking forward to building trusted relationships with community members and key stakeholders by developing a deep understanding of their needs and creating meaningful connections to support improved outcomes that align with Legal Aid NSW’s priorities.”

Legal Aid NSW CEO Monique Hitter said opening an office in Moree was about meeting growing, unmet legal needs in the region, particularly for young people and families.

Legal Aid NSW has been steadily increasing services in Moree and surrounding regions and is keen for this to continue.

“It is so important for local communities to have access to permanent and on-site legal services,” Ms Hitter said.

In 2024-25, Legal Aid NSW provided 1256 services to people in the Moree district, a 33 per cent increase over four years.

“Moree is an area where there is significant unmet demand for legal services, which is why we are committed to ensuring locals have the same access to high quality legal services as those in other towns and regions,” Ms Hitter said.

“We will complement the work of other support services in the region by focusing on unmet legal need and collaborate closely with existing local services so that Legal Aid NSW is an option for the community when they have a legal problem.”

The new Legal Aid Office in Moree is located at 25 Auburn Street and can be contacted via LawAccess on 1300 888 529.