Drug Courts
David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan) (12:31): (571) My question is to the Attorney-General. Drug Courts have proven effectiveness in supporting offenders to address the causes of their addiction and go on to live productive lives. They reduce recidivism and thus reduce demand on prison capacity and on treatment services, so they are also very cost effective. Legal services and AOD services in my electorate have long advocated for a specialist Drug Court in the west, where there is a dire need for one, and welcomed the government’s announcement in 2021 that the new Wyndham law courts would have funding for specialist therapeutic lists, including a Drug Court. Now that the Wyndham precinct will not open in 2025 as planned and given the government’s commitment to funding a Drug Court in the west, will the government commit to funding a Drug Court list at the Werribee Magistrates’ Court in the interim?
Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:32): I thank Mr Ettershank for his question. He has raised a number of matters that fall within my portfolio and services within the west. I might start with Drug Courts and point to the fact that this year’s budget indeed includes investment in the continuation of the existing Drug Courts around the state, and further expansion of Drug Courts, and other therapeutic courts for that matter, will be informed by evaluations of the existing ones as well as by looking at financial considerations and consultation with communities and key stakeholders.
When it comes to the Wyndham law courts, anyone that has driven past that development will be under no illusion that it will be a transformational futureproofing project for that region. Construction is well underway. I attended a topping-out ceremony not that long ago and met with a lot of the people who are employed to construct that amazing facility. Stages of operationalisation – as it becomes operational, we will be working with Court Services Victoria. Obviously we need to complete the construction of that project first, and we also have existing consultation processes with members of the community and stakeholders and many of the people that I know Mr Ettershank is engaged with as well. We are also working hard to identify a number of services that will be provided in that facility, such as legal aid, interpreters, housing services et cetera. There are a lot of opportunities for that facility when it opens because Werribee will transfer over to there, but there are also opportunities for a number of other services. In the interim, as it is still under construction, we will continue to support the existing courts in the vicinity. You have got Werribee Magistrates’ Court, you have got Melbourne and you have got Sunshine who have specialist courts, and they can continue to provide additional support for the growing demands of the Werribee catchment area in the interim before Wyndham opens.
David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan) (12:34): I thank the Attorney for her response, and I guess you have sort of struck a part of my supplementary. Drug Courts and other specialist therapeutic courts rely on the provision of those wraparound services if they are to be effective. With the Wyndham court precinct unlikely to open before 2026 now, can I ask you perhaps to elaborate, if you would, Attorney, on what the government is doing in the interim to ensure that the new courts will have the access to the services needed to support the operation of their specialist therapeutic list, including accessible AOD services and public transport?
Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:35): Mr Ettershank, whilst I appreciate your question, you have touched on a number of portfolios. I am not the minister for public transport; nor am I the Minister for Mental Health, which takes in programs in relation to alcohol and drug programs. However, what I am excited about about the Wyndham project is its size, capacity for growth and the ability to connect with a number of services. Everyone in the room, I know, would understand and accept that when you have a legal issue it is very much usually not in isolation. There are underlying causes of offending behaviour, reasons that you have found yourself needing to access a court, and we want to make sure that as much as possible we are bringing in many of those services, whether it be co-location or nearby, making sure that they are accessible through a variety of transport options and the like. A number of ministers, including the local member, are very engaged in continued conversation about what this project can deliver when – timelines – and everyone is involved in that conversation.