Senator Tammy Tyrrell, Tasmania Legal Aid director call on federal government to commit funds to new Burnie family court
People are at risk if a new court complex doesn’t include a family court on the site, legal aid director says. A Tasmanian Senator is also calling on the federal govt to cough up the funds.
Tasmania
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The state and federal governments are still discussing funding for a new family court in Burnie.
The state government has asked its federal counterparts to commit $15 million for the new court by February 29.
That funding would be part of the new $86.5 million Burnie Court Complex.
The Federal Circuit and Family Law Court of Australia is the responsibility of the Albanese government.
The new complex at Burnie is planned to have four rooms, but if the federal government commits to funding a family court at the site, it would increase to five.
Tasmania Legal Aid Director Kristen Wylie said she was concerned that if a family court were not included in the new Burnie complex, people would have to travel to Launceston, where the nearest services are.
“For someone that is in Marrawah or on the West Coast, sometimes it’s an impossible journey to make because you don’t have a car, buses can take a day to get there, you have to get overnight accommodation, it’s just too hard,” Ms Wylie said.
“And that means families are at risk, and it really makes a difference to the safety of families being able to access justice in the local area.”
Ms Wylie said the fact the funding commitment for the family court had not yet occurred created uncertainty.
“What the community wants to know is that there is going to be secure and ongoing access to family court services on the Coast.
“We know that this deadline is looming, and unless the commitment is made, we don’t know what’s going to happen with family law services into the future.”
Jacqui Lambie Network Senator Tammy Tyrrell said many of her constituents had come to her worried about the future of family court services in the North-West.
“If they don’t get to court, that means they’re not being represented fairly, and they are worried they’re not going to get what they need, and people are going to be in danger,” Senator Tyrrell said.
“Families are important, and I think they are well and truly worth $15 million.”
A spokesperson for federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said “discussions are continuing between the Commonwealth and the Tasmanian government”.
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Originally published as Senator Tammy Tyrrell, Tasmania Legal Aid director call on federal government to commit funds to new Burnie family court
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