As members of the profession will be aware, the building that was most recently used for the Smithton country court is no longer available for that purpose. All Smithton matters are currently being listed in Burnie, pending suitable alternative premises being found.
The Magistrates Court and the Department of Justice have made extensive efforts to find alternative premises in or around Smithton that would be suitable for holding court proceedings. A possible site has been identified and preliminary discussions have commenced to determine whether refurbishments could be made to meet the Court’s requirements.
Preliminary discussions are also underway as to the possible provision of an alternative transport option for persons required to appear in the Smithton List in Burnie.
The Department is committed to providing access to justice in regional communities and will continue efforts to find suitable accommodation for the Magistrates Court’s Smithton lists. Any queries in relation to this update can be directed to Kristy Bourne, Deputy Secretary, Corrections and Justice – kristy.bourne@justice.tas.gov.au or (03) 6165 4943