An artist's impression of what Whanganui's new courthouse will look like.
The Government has agreed to fund a new courthouse for Whanganui.
It will invest $100 million in building the new facility on a large block bound by Bell, Dublin, Wicksteed and Liverpool streets in the west of the city.
An artist’s impression released of the building gives the first insight into what it will look like.
The 5000sq m courthouse is being built alongside a new police station as part of a modern, new “justice precinct” on the former Ucol Polytechnic campus site.
The Ministry of Justice and police have been working with iwi and hapū to develop the concept of a centralised justice and community wellbeing hub called Te Puna Hapori, with the principles of community-led wellbeing outcomes central to its design and build.
The courthouse and police station are expected to take up only part of the site, allowing for health, social and community services to be located together.
Also on the site will be the marae complex Rangahaua.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said on Wednesday the current courthouse, located in the city centre, was not fit for purpose and needed to be replaced.
“Staying put is not an option,” Goldsmith said.
The investment would help improve access to justice and court timeliness, Goldsmith and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee said in a statement.
“The current Whanganui High Court and District Court does not have sufficient capacity for large jury trials, being in a leased building originally constructed in the late 1960s,” McKee said.
“The Ministry of Justice will invest $100m into the rebuild with construction already under way.
“It will have four courtrooms including two jury-capable courtrooms, one of which is suitable for large multi-defendant jury trials.
“We need to ensure that courthouses are up to standard.”
McKee said she expected the new building to provide safer spaces for victims, defendants, participants and their families.
The Ucol campus was formerly owned by the Ministry of Education but was transferred to the Ministry of Justice as part of preparations for the Treaty settlement being negotiated between the Whanganui Land Settlement Negotiation Trust and the Crown.
The trust expects the land to return to iwi and hapū ownership under the settlement.
The existing courthouse and the 1803sq m of land it sits on, next to Pākaitore historic reserve, are owned by Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui, the Post-Settlement Governance Entity for the Whanganui River (Te Awa Tupua) Treaty settlement.
The courthouse is leased to the Ministry of Justice.
Its future is not yet known but will be decided by Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui.
With construction already under way, the new courthouse is expected to be operational in 2027.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
