- Aboriginal Justice Open Days program shortlisted for an Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) WA Achievement Award
- Attorney General praises the initiative and urges WA communities to use the service
- The Open Days help people access services and essential documentation and resolve fines or outstanding administration
Attorney General Dr Tony Buti has congratulated the Aboriginal Justice Open Days program on being named as a finalist in this year's Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) WA Achievement Awards.
Dr Buti said the Open Days program was listed in the Best Practice in Collaboration Across Government Agencies category, and he encouraged the public to use the valuable service.
The Department of Justice led initiative is a culturally safe one-stop-shop for official documentation and administrative services that can often take months to resolve, especially in regional areas.
As well as travelling to some of the State's most remote communities, the Open Days are also regularly held in the Perth metropolitan area and are open to any member of the public.
Assistance is on hand from agencies including the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Sheriff's Office, Services Australia, Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure, Legal Aid, and various Workforce Australia job providers.
Staff help clients gain driver's licences, WA Photo Cards, birth certificates, tax returns, fines, and Medicare and concession cards, as well as accessing to benefits and legal advice.
There have been 58 Open Days this fiscal year, with more than 100 anticipated for the entire year, achieving 7,832 total outcomes for clients so far.
That includes the printing of 442 birth certificates, 284 health care or pension cards, and applications for 249 WA Photo Cards and 256 Medicare cards being processed.
The Open Days also enable clients to prevent escalating involvement with the justice system and avoid penalties and fine debt.
More than $1.48 million fines were converted, with more than 370 people set up with time-to-pay arrangements this 2025/2026 fiscal year.
Additionally, 301 driver's licence suspensions were lifted, 87 people passed their practical driving assessment, and 141 took driving theory tests.
For more information, go to www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-justice/about-the-department-of-justice .
As stated by Attorney General Dr Tony Buti:
"The Aboriginal Justice Open Days make a key contribution to the Cook Government's commitment to equity and justice and towards meeting the needs and vast cultural diversity of Aboriginal communities.
"These Open Days are vitally important, not just in the city but also in our regional communities in connecting people to service they might otherwise not access.
"I'm very pleased that the immeasurable value this service delivers to local communities has now been recognised with a well-deserved nomination as a finalist in this year's IPAA WA Awards.
"If there's an Aboriginal Justice Open Day near you, please go along and you might find out some incredibly valuable information."
