Up to seven Hunter courthouses are set to receive a facelift, courtesy of a $9 million COVID-19 Commonwealth stimulus package.
The funding means domestic violence (DV) complainants and other vulnerable witnesses will be empowered to give their best evidence in court thanks to a new safe, remote room.
Work is due to start at facilities at Belmont, Cessnock, Maitland, Newcastle, Toronto, Singleton and Muswellbrook.
It includes:
- Belmont Courthouse – new remote witness room, state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment, air conditioning and secure access doors;
- Cessnock Courthouse – upgraded safe room, new kitchenette, furniture and secure access;
- Maitland Courthouse – upgraded safe room and remote witness room, state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment, new furniture and secure access doors;
- Newcastle Courthouse – upgraded remote witness room, state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment, new furniture and secure access;
- Toronto Courthouse – upgraded remote witness room, state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment, acoustic treatment to the walls and secure access;
- Singleton Courthouse – a new remote witness room, state-of-the-art audio-visual link equipment, new furniture and secure access; and
- Muswellbrook Courthouse – an upgraded remote witness room, state-of-the-art audio-visual link equipment, new furniture and secure access.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Taylor Martin said he was looking forward to the enhancements.
“The upgrades to our local courthouses will help vulnerable people feel safer when coming to court and give witnesses a better private and secure area to prepare for court and to give their best evidence,” he added.
Attorney General and Minister for Prevention of Domestic and Sexual Violence Mark Speakman said witnesses had commonly been through serious trauma and attending court was very stressful.
“This is particularly true for victim-survivors of domestic, family and sexual violence,” he stated.
“This is part of our ongoing commitment to support victim-survivors if they choose to report to police, and to help them feel confident in coming to court.”
Later this year, self-represented defendants will be banned from personally cross-examining complainants in DV criminal proceedings and related AVOs, under new laws passed last November.
As part of the same reforms, complainants in these proceedings also now have a prima facie entitlement to give evidence remotely via AVL and in a closed court.
The works will also include upgrades of essential safety features, funded from the NSW Government’s $100 million Sustaining Critical Infrastructure Program, announced in the November 2020 budget.
The projects, awarded to Project Coordination (Australia) Pty Ltd, are scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.
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