Plans to move Burnie’s court to old UTAS campus upsets residents

Residents of a Tassie region say a decision to move their local courthouse into suburbia raises safety concerns for the nearby primary school.

LABOR has launched a petition calling on the government to scrap its plans to move Burnie’s courthouse complex from the CBD to the old University of Tasmania campus in suburban Mooreville Rd.

The petition, backed by residents, calls on the government to immediately halt its plans and commit to redeveloping the current complex or find a new location for it downtown near food outlets, supporting legal services and bus stops.

The old UTAS campus is surrounded by houses and is close to a primary school and aged care home.

Concerned Burnie residents with Labor Leader Rebecca White and Deputy Leader Anita Dow

“It makes no sense to have a court complex here,” resident Alison Cruickshank said.

“The CBD is where business is meant to happen. There is no police station nearby and we have safety concerns. We haven’t heard anything from the government, they need to come and listen to the community.”

The Law Society of Tasmania and the Burnie City Council have also raised concerns about the proposal.

Attorney-General Elise Archer announced the court would be moved to the former UTAS campus earlier this year saying it made more sense than spending the $15m needed to bring the existing complex building up to scratch.

The announcement coincided with the university’s decision to move out of Mooreville Rd and into a new campus at West Park.

Ms Archer said the court facilities in Alexander St were outdated.

“In particular, it has become difficult with physical distancing requirements to ensure the safety of court staff and its users during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Ms Archer said.

“A thorough assessment of the current building has made it clear that the best and most efficient option is the development of court facilities in a new location.”

Court

Deputy Labor Leader Anita Dow said the decision was “illogical.”

“Where else in the nation is there a busy courthouse in a suburban area,” she asked.

“The government provided no real reason why it needs to be here and the cost has now blown out to $40m from $15m to update the existing court complex.”

“If it cannot be redeveloped the government needs to find another site in the CBD. There are parcels of land available along with empty buildings.”

Ms Archer said Labor was whinging and complaining while offering no solutions of their own.

“The existing Burnie court facilities are no longer fit for purpose which is why, as part of the 2021-22 Budget, we allocated an additional $25 million, on top of the original $15 million commitment, to develop a new Burnie Court Complex,” she said.

“The Government has investigated sites for the potential court complex, however, none were identified near the current complex or within the CBD.

“And to be absolutely clear, the Government is committed to community consultation.”

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works is also considering the project, with a public hearing scheduled for Tuesday next week.