Tenant Advocate

Information for applicants 

To apply please provide your CV and a cover letter addressing each of the selection criteria (2 pages max).

We will be interviewing soon after the close date. 

The position is banded from SCHADS 5 Pay point 1 to 3 with a salary range of $94,111 to $100,375 per annum pro rata (dependent upon qualifications, skills and experience), plus superannuation and leave loading. PBI Salary Packaging is also available. 

About NORTAAS

NORTAAS is funded by NSW Fair Trading as part of the NSW Tenancy Advice and Advocacy Programme (TAAP), a statewide program that provides for 15 generalist TAAP services across the state, including four specialist Aboriginal services and one statewide specialist service, the NSW Tenants’ Union.

NORTAAS provides free specialist legal advice & advocacy, information and referral to tenants in the Northern Rivers of NSW. The service also provides representation for Tribunal matters where resources are available. NORTAAS assist people renting privately through a landlord or real estate agent, tenants in public and community housing, tenants renting in caravan parks, homeowners in land lease communities and residents of boarding houses.

NORTAAS is a auspice service of the Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre (NRCLC). 

NRCLC is an independent, important, and dynamic social justice organisation that has been operating on Bundjalung country since the mid 1990s. NRCLC strives to create a safe, inclusive, equitable and connected Northern Rivers community, where everyone is supported to adapt and thrive. NRCLC is a multi-disciplinary legal service including Generalist Civil & Family Law community legal Service; Disaster Response and Recovery; Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service; Tenants Advice and Advocacy; Community Development and Community Education and an in-house Social Worker.

What we do

• provide accurate, practical and timely information and advice to people renting privately through a landlord or real estate agent, tenants in public and community housing, tenants renting in caravan parks, homeowners in land lease communities and residents of boarding houses in accordance to their rights and obligations under relevant legislation;  
• promote the interests of Aboriginal tenants, boarders, lodgers, other marginal tenants, private rental tenants, public and community housing tenants, and land lease community (residential parks) residents;  
• prioritise service demands to ensure that clients experiencing disadvantage are given priority;  
• assist clients to achieve the resolution of disputes through negotiation and conciliation where appropriate;  
• work collaboratively with other funded services, the NSW Government and referral organisations; 
• liaise, advocate and network with relevant community organisations, government departments and judicial agencies to ensure that clients have access to services where relevant; 
• provide culturally appropriate and accessible services;  
• maintain and report accurate data in relation to services delivered. 

The principles under which NORTAAS operate include: 

• To operate and comply with the policies of the Tenancy Advice and Advocacy Programme; 
• To develop a holistic approach to assisting tenants, taking into account their social, cultural, and economic needs as well as their legal needs; 
• To be accessible to all tenants within the local community by ensuring that the needs of specific groups are addressed and that the service reflects the diversity of the local community; 
• To advocate for social justice, particularly for people who are socially or economically disadvantaged, and to members of the community whose inability to access the legal system further aggravates or perpetuates their disadvantage. 

Our work is guided by our vision “A just society for all” and our values. NRCLC works from a whole of centre practice framework and actively supports staff training, supervision and cohesive work practices. 

NRCLC’s ways of working are guided by the following internal documents: 

• Reconciliation Action Plan 
• NRCLC Feminist Framework 
• NRCLC Theory of Change 
• NRCLC Community Development Framework

Essential criteria: 

1. Experience in providing information, advice and advocacy for clients experiencing disadvantage which is often compounded by barriers to accessing justice. 
2. Experience working with, and understanding of, the needs of target client groups, including women experiencing or at risk of domestic and family violence and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients and communities. 
3. A commitment to social justice. 
4. Excellent written and verbal communication skills
5. Excellent interpersonal skills and a demonstrated capacity to work within multi-disciplinary teams to ensure collaborative work practices. 
6. Demonstrated ability to prioritise competing tasks, and to work independently and as part of a team

Desirable criteria: 

1. Demonstrated experience in assisting clients in regard to their rights and obligations under residential tenancy or land lease communities legislation; 
2. Demonstrated experience in representing clients in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal or similar Court or Tribunal.