A new courthouse will be built in Whanganui alongside a new police station and community services.
The bill for a new courthouse in Whanganui is expected to come in around $100 million.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says precise costings will be known once the design of the 5000sq m building has been finalised.
Subject to approval of a final business case, the main construction work for the two and a half to three-year build should be under way late this year.
The minister told Local Democracy Reporting work to clear the new site and prepare it was well under way.
“It is expected that the new courthouse will be operational in 2027.”
The new courthouse is being built as part of a “justice precinct”, alongside a new police station on the former Ucol Polytechnic campus site in city’s west.
The Ministry of Justice and police are 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 new courthouse and police station, currently located in the city centre, will be built opposite each other on a large block bound by Bell, Dublin, Wicksteed and Liverpool Streets.
The courthouse and police station will take up only part of the site, allowing for health, social and community services to be located together. On the site will also be the large, existing marae complex Rangahaua.
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.
Goldsmith said master planning for Te Puna Hapori was ongoing and design work for the courthouse was well under way.
“The final detailed design stage is on schedule to be completed before the end of the year,” the minister said in a statement.
The courthouse will have two jury-capable courtrooms, a courtroom for judge-alone court events and a family courtroom. It will also include mediation and hearing rooms.
“The services delivered in the current leased courthouse will be relocated to the new courthouse once completed,” the Minister said.
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 future of the existing courthouse is not yet known.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Comment: Planting a range of trees will give fruit at different times of the year.