NSW community justice centres will be scrapped next year - it’s enshittification in action

‘CJC mediation will not be readily available for neighbourhood matters. Problems arising from a fractured neighbourly state of being will need to be dealt with by private mediation – or not at all,’ writes Graeme Gibson. Photograph: MTStock Studio/Getty Images

In life, disagreements, arguments and conflicts are inevitable. But there are options for how we respond.

Listening, understanding the other person’s point of view, exploring the options and reality testing are at the heart of a successful resolution to conflict. These are stages in mediation before negotiating an agreement, and this is the process followed by the New South Wales Community Justice Centre (CJC) program since it was established more than 40 years ago. Over that time, this free service has consistently seen success rates of around 80%.