$5m Maroochydore Courthouse upgrade to protect DV victims revealed
The state government has announced a giant boost for courthouses across Queensland, with a whopping $5m dedicated to improving safety and security for domestic violence victims on the Sunshine Coast.
Victims of domestic violence will be able to feel safer with a $5m upgrade to a major Sunshine Coast courthouse delivering new secure facilities.
Attorney-General Deb Frecklington and Member for Maroochydore and Women Minister Fiona Simpson announced the $5m upgrade on Monday, as part of a wider $18.8m boost to the state government’s Domestic and Family Violence Courthouse Improvement Program.
This additional boost puts the total program investment at nearly $68m.
Upgrades to the Maroochydore Courthouse include a new safe room with direct access to a courtroom, providing a secure space for vulnerable witnesses.
The courthouse entry will receive a security upgrade and the court registry will also undergo refurbishment for additional staff.
It is expected construction will start by the end of the year and be completed by mid-2026.
Ms Frecklington said 787 applications for domestic violence orders were made and 1410 charges of contravening a domestic violence were dealt with in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court between June 2024 and 2025.
“This is all about safer access to justice, all about improving safety for those victims who are fronting up to the court,” she said.
Ms Simpson said the project would allow victims to be kept separate from perpetrators with extra security to feel safe when they sought justice.
Ms Frecklington said the courthouse required the upgrade “without a doubt”, which was why the state government had invested.
“We need to make sure these women get safer access to justice,” she said.
“One application of domestic and family violence is one too many.”
Ms Frecklington said herself and Ms Simpson backed the “not now, not ever” report and supported the coercive control legislations when they sat in opposition.
She said their colleague Minister for Child Safety and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Amanda Camm worked “tirelessly each and every day” on preventive programs.
Ms Simpson said the scale of domestic violence in the legal system could not be underestimated.
She said equipping the courts would help address the “scourge” not only on the Sunshine Coast but across Queensland.
