The Government has agreed to fund new courthouses for both Whanganui and Papakura in a bid to improve access to justice and court timeliness.
Justice Minister, Paul Goldsmith said both current courthouse buildings were not fit-for-purpose and needed to be replaced.
“Staying put is not an option,” said Mr Goldsmith.
“The current Papakura courthouse is a leaky building which has been fully covered in plastic wrap since 2021 to stop moisture getting in.”
Construction will begin mid next year at the site of the former RSA, which was purchased by the Ministry of Justice for $11 million.
“As the construction contract for this project is currently being negotiated, the exact funding amount is currently commercially sensitive,” said Minister Goldsmith.
Associate Justice Minister, Nicole McKee said the current Whanganui High Court and District Court was also not fit-for-purpose and not capable of housing large jury trials.
Both are housed in a leased building which was originally constructed in the late 1960s.
“The Ministry of Justice will invest $100m into the rebuild with construction already underway. It will have four courtrooms including two jury capable courtrooms, one of which is suitable for large multi-defendant jury trials,” said Ms McKee.
“We need to ensure that courthouses are up to standard, and we expect both of these projects to provide safer spaces for victims, defendants, participants, and their families,” she said.
The new courthouses are expected to be operational in 2027.
