Tuesday, 29 October 2024

 Nick McGOWAN (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (22:28): (1218) Two weeks ago a number of community legal services had displays in Queen’s Hall, and what quickly transpired was a conversation between me and many of those services. Something that I had not been aware of and certainly they were not aware of, but we have subsequently been made aware of, is the fact that this government intends to close a number of Children’s Courts, in particular the lists – that is, in effect, the Children’s Court. This government are planning to shut down the Children’s Courts in Ringwood, Sunshine, Werribee, Heidelberg and Frankston. They intend to force victims and the accused, their families, their lawyers and the police of Victoria to go to one of only four locations – Broadmeadows, Moorabbin, Dandenong or Melbourne – in order to seek justice. This move will have dire consequences for the justice system and for youth justice, there are no two ways about it. Police are concerned. The amount of time it will take police to simply attend a simple court hearing out of their areas will be astronomical. The victims of course themselves will be hesitant to show up in an area that is not theirs, that they are not familiar with. The accused will find it even harder. They often come from a vulnerable cohort and whether they manage to find their way there at all – frankly, it probably will not be the case. Adjournments will be prolific. Postponements will also be the order of the day.

I have managed to survey a number of locals in Ringwood, because this is a significant concern not only, obviously, for the people in Ringwood but for those further afield too, in Croydon and nearby suburbs, like Warrandyte and right across the region and eastern suburbs. I have had hundreds of survey responses, and I have never had responses like this before. Of those responses, 99 per cent were against the move of the Children’s Court. I have page after page of articulate, informed comment here from locals in my area. Here is one, for example:

As a Labor member, I am very disappointed at this decision, and will bring it up at next local meeting. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.

Another one says:

Keep what the community needs local. The Court needs to stay in Ringwood.

If this does occur it will have a severe detrimental effect on the delivery of Children’s services.

The list goes on and on. From psychologists, from people involved in child protection and from people involved in foster care, these are real. I will quote this last one:

Children’s court in ringwood should stay as is! I as a foster parent if a child who unfortunately has found himself constantly sitting in a court room on a weekly basis just can’t afford the travel as a single parent on a disability pension.

The unforeseen consequences of this government’s decision to shut down the Children’s Courts in Sunshine, Werribee, Heidelberg, Frankston and Ringwood will be dire for justice and youth justice in this state. I urge the minister not to do that.