Wednesday, 8 March 2023

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:40): I would love to use the opportunity to update the house on the opening of the new Bendigo law courts, which happened last week. The Premier, the Deputy Premier, the Speaker from the other chamber and I joined the Chief Justice and other heads of jurisdiction to officially open the amazing new facility. Proudly located on Dja Dja Wurrung country, it is a contemporary court set up for the future. Bendigo has been home to a fantastic heritage lovely old building, which is still there of course, but it is really good that it is no longer going to be housing the justice response for that community. We now have a fit-for-purpose facility that will accommodate the growing population and accommodate the modern, comprehensive services that we expect our justice facilities to have.

The new court is digitally enabled, which means that users can better plan their visit, find their hearing and locate the assistance that they need. It is welcoming and easy to navigate, it is calm, it is safe and it is secure. The building is also a spectacular addition to the Bendigo city skyline, and construction was a great boost to the local economy, with 42 per cent of workers in the building living within 100 kilometres of Bendigo.

It is also just incredible that the building is anchored in Bendigo’s heritage. It includes the magnificent copper representation of Bunjil, a welcoming courtyard and a landscape symbolising this distinctive country. I cannot overstate how impressive this building is, and it is all because we worked hand in glove with the local traditional owners. Dja Dja Wurrung were there from the start, involved in the design. It is a safe, culturally appropriate place for First Nations people, and I want to give a shout-out to Trent Nelson and Rodney Carter from the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation, who were there on hand to welcome visitors to the opening. Djaara language is in more than 40 locations in the building, and there are artworks by Djaara artists. There is also a magnificent sculpture by Yhonnie Scarce.

I do want to thank everyone that helped deliver this court – Court Services Victoria, the project partners and the Dja Dja Wurrung community – and take the opportunity to make sure that anybody in the chamber that visits Bendigo goes and has a look. It is really awesome.