Today members from Lismore and Ballina Community Services Centre (CSC) walked off the job to protest about chronic understaffing that places children in the Northern Rivers at an unacceptable risk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Members met at the old Lismore office, which was decimated in recent flooding. Currently Lismore CSC is working out of demountable buildings that are not fit for purpose.

In addition, the Ballina office has been shut due to mould since January 2024.

The Northern Rivers has the highest Community Services staff vacancy rate in the state. Caseworkers can only see one in six children in need, which is even worse than the rest of the state, where staff manage to see only one in four children.