Hopevale

About Hope Vale

Location

Hope Vale is located about an hour's drive north of Cooktown and about 6 hour's drive north of Cairns.

Languages

The main language spoken in Hope Vale is Guugu Ymidhirr. Other languages, including English, are also spoken. The use of an interpreter may be necessary to assist complainants, witnesses, victims and offenders who come before the courts.

History of Hope Vale

Hope Vale facts and figures

For 2011 and 2016 census information on education, employment, income, housing figures and more for Hope Vale, build a statistical profile on Know Your Community.

Native title information

Search for native title information on the National Native Title Tribunal website.

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Visiting Hope Vale

Getting to Hope Vale

Hope Vale is about 370Km from Cairns, via Cooktown.

Seasonal considerations

Hope Vale may experience cyclones and monsoonal rains during the wet season. Roads may become wet and slippery during heavy rainfall.

Alcohol restrictions

Alcohol restrictions apply in Hope Vale.

Local government

Search the local government directory for information about the Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council.

Who to contact if you have questions about your visit

Sorry business

‘Sorry Business’ is a term used during the time of mourning following the death of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person. The term can also refer to the past practice of forcibly removing children from their families. The intensity of mourning is reflective of the importance of the family or person who has died. The mourning process enables healing for the family and community involved.

Funerals are respected in the community. Essential services such as policing, child safety, health, education and justice will continue to operate on the day of a funeral, but some services and retail businesses will close, depending on the time.
Funerals can be held at any time throughout the week to allow for relatives and friends to travel. For more information on how Sorry Business is conducted in Hope Vale contact the Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council.

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Community justice group

The role of the Community Justice Group (CJG) is to ensure that clients of the service are given appropriate cultural support for court matters. The CJG also provides cultural reports to the courts at sentencing and bail applications, assistance to the courts in managing community-based offences, and networking to implement crime prevention initiatives.

Members of the CJG work closely with a number of justice agencies including the Queensland Magistrates Court, Department of Corrective Services, Queensland Police Service, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service. The CJG works to support the community’s understanding of and access to the justice system by working in conjunction with Shire Council by-laws and victim support agencies.

Key ways the CJG is able to assist the community and the courts include:

participation in community consultations relevant to the CJG’s role within the criminal justice sector
preparation and presentation of written and oral sentencing submissions to the court
defendant support and referral (including court support)
victim support and referral (including court support)
support for debtors wishing to access the State Penalties and Enforcement Registry.

For more information about your local Community Justice Group: