A two-year delay to the opening of Wyndham’s specialist Koori and family violence courts has been labelled “outrageous” by a western suburbs MP.
While the Wyndham Law Courts precinct opened on 10 November, the Koori and family violence courts won’t open until 2027.
Western Metropolitan Legalise Cannabis MP David Ettershank said the delay was unacceptable.
“The new courts were meant to deliver tailored services, including the Specialist Family Violence Court, the Koori Court and Koori Family Hearing Days,” he said.
Mr Ettershank said the Koori Court provided a space where First Nations people could sit at a table with the magistrate, elders, a Koori court officer, the prosecutor, their lawyer and family in a less formal setting, while the family violence court was designed so that affected family members feel safe.
“Western metropolitan Melbourne has high rates of family violence, and these family violence courts are needed now. No one wants to wait two years for the service,” he said.
According the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA), 4150 family violence incidents were recorded in Wyndham in the 12 months to June 30, while 3632 were recorded in Melton during the same period.
CSA data shows 2898 incidents were recorded in Brimbank, while Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay recorded 1220 and 1078 incidents respectively.
A state government spokesperson said that due to the scale and complexity of the new Wyndham Law Courts, some services will be introduced in stages – ensuring the right infrastructure, staffing and community partnerships are in place to deliver these services sustainably.
Mr Ettershank also criticised the government for not including a hub of wrap-around services at the Wyndham Law Courts.
“This is Victoria’s largest suburban justice precinct, but the government has missed a golden opportunity to deliver a complementary hub of wrap-around services for people who need and want to turn their life around and stop offending,” he said.
“By only funding courts and not providing rehabilitation supports, this government is setting people up in the west to fail.”
The government spokesperson said the courts would deliver “critical services” in Melbourne’s growing western suburbs.
