The Magistrates Court’s decision to cease a monthly circuit court sitting at Smithton comes as a result of the high expense of the Smithton sittings and the lack of suitable locations following the expiry of the lease of the current sitting venue.
Smithton has been one of the most expensive country courts to operate, costing around $22,000 per year for monthly sittings.
A five-year lease of the Smithton Court Building, which was a significant part of this expense, ended earlier this year and suitable alternative locations in Smithton could not be found.
All Smithton matters which proceeded to hearing were already heard in Burnie.
In difficult budget circumstances where savings are required to be found, and with the Magistrates Court at Burnie less than an hour away, continued sittings in Smithton could not be justified at the expense of other Magistrates Court functions.
The Justice Department is liaising with Tasmania Police to ensure a smooth transition. I do not agree with the Law Society’s proposition that the savings made will be outweighed by police costs.
The Magistrates Court, like all Government funded operations, is being asked to find efficiencies. The Court has made no decisions to cease sitting in other locations, however it is reviewing all its operations in an effort to operate effectively within the budget allocated.
Vanessa Goodwin, Minister for Justice
