Geelong Specialist Family Violence Court
Mr GRIMLEY (Western Victoria) (11:56): My question is for the Attorney-General. Recently I became aware that the Geelong Specialist Family Violence Court is expected to be gazetted on 30 September. I am worried about this given the courthouse upgrades have not begun yet. Further, the services that surround the Specialist Family Violence Court, such as legal assistance, have not all been given funding either. The specialist court allows a different list to hear many matters in one hearing to save time and trauma for the victim. This means more legal expertise and time is needed for both sides to prepare. All of this points to the fact that more money is needed for these services. I am not sure how the Specialist Family Violence Court in Geelong can function effectively if the services that underpin it are not adequately funded. Attorney, if the specialist court is opened in six weeks, will you ensure that all legal services that support the specialist court model are adequately funded to handle the additional work?
Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (11:57): I thank Mr Grimley for his question and his interest in these matters. Obviously this government is extremely proud of its commitment to addressing family violence in a range of forms and responding to it through the courts. It is our government that has committed to specialist family violence courts, and obviously we acknowledge that the legal aid and services that are associated with that are important partners in relation to it. So although I do not have at hand the specific funding breakdown that is allocated to all of the services in Geelong at the moment, I know that you and I are meeting this week, and if you would like me to get prepared for a more detailed answer—it is a bit hard for me to answer on the spot—I can get that material so that you can be aware of our continued efforts across the state in relation to addressing family violence but particularly in your area of interest, the Geelong area.
Mr GRIMLEY (Western Victoria) (11:58): Thank you, Attorney, for that. I look forward to that meeting. The Specialist Family Violence Court in Geelong begins in just over a month, like I said, but the courthouse upgrades have not yet begun. I have been out to the Ballarat Specialist Family Violence Court and must say that it is a shining example of how a family court should operate both internally and externally, with separate entrances for all parties concerned. I have also had many visits to the Geelong courthouse in my previous life and know the challenges that lie ahead with the infrastructure changes required to the building to ensure the safety of victims. My supplementary question is: Attorney, when will these upgrades to the Geelong courthouse begin, and when are they expected to be completed?
Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (11:58): Again, Mr Grimley, that is a very specific question. I do not have the latest update from the infrastructure unit within the department of justice. However, the issues that you have identified are indeed accurate. It is a challenging site. Of course we want court facilities that respond to the modern needs of justice. We know through listening to victim-survivors and the like that entering the same entrance, for example, is certainly something that is to be avoided, and we have spent a lot of money around the state in relation to separate entries and what we can do within the existing footprints of some of those courthouses. In relation to Geelong, it is complex. We are working on the issue. I had a conversation recently with the Chief Magistrate in relation to that site, and it is an ongoing conversation about what is needed and what could be done maybe in the short term versus what could be done in the long term to ensure that it is a fit-for-purpose house for a specialist family violence service.