I trust you all had a restful Easter which seems like a distant memory now. On 3 April 2023 I had the pleasure of attending the opening and being invited to speak at the Launceston Registry of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 1) and the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2) at Henty House, 1 Civic Square, Launceston.
This was a significant occasion for the Courts in Launceston, and the local community. I would like to acknowledge that the facility would not have been possible if not for the significant lobbying of the Family Law Practitioners Association, especially the Vice President Julia Higgins (then President of FLPA, Louise Mollross (current President of FLPA), and the LST, especially the then President of the LST and now Magistrate Evan Hughes in 2019.
For those of you yet to tour the facility it is state of the art, an important milestone for the wider community. It means both the safety of practitioners and other court users, confidential access to clients, and a far more pleasant working environment for our members.
The Society are also pleased to hear that following the public consultation on the two CBD sites, on 18 March 2023, the Government announced that the preferred location for the replacement Burnie Court Complex project is now 100 to 106 Wilson Street Burnie. This is a pleasing outcome for the Society and its members and we are looking forward to seeing plans for the development.
Amanda Thompson
PRESIDENT