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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
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Holden Hill Magistrates Court

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (14:55): Thank you, sir. My question—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Florey.

Ms BEDFORD: Thank you, sir. My question is to the Attorney-General. Can the Attorney provide the house with details of increased activity at other courts, following the closure of the Holden Hill courthouse in August 2015? What savings did the Courts Administration Authority make from the closure and is any income being received from use of the cells at the former Holden Hill courthouse?

The SPEAKER: Yes, I would like to know as well. The Attorney.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General) (14:55): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am pleased about your inquiry on this important topic because in 2015, as the member well knows, the former government closed the Holden Hill court via the Courts Administration Authority, which is the entity responsible, under the stewardship of the Chief Justice and the judicial counsel, to make decisions about what court facilities should operate. It was within the umbrella of outrage at the former government's decision to close the Port Adelaide court. Significant public protest resulted in that court staying open, which is good because it's relatively new infrastructure at Port Adelaide. Certainly, in my day of practice, we had to go down to the old Port Adelaide magistrates court, but this is new infrastructure that is well utilised.

I did recently inquire with Chief Magistrate Hribal as to her understanding of what has happened with the cohort of clientele who utilised that court, whether it was for criminal matters or to press their civil claims. It was particularly in the envelope of understanding that some people had been concerned—and the member herself may have received notice of this—with the difficulty of those who were victims of domestic violence in trying to pursue a civil remedy or protection by intervention orders or breach circumstances to prosecute those without having a local court facility.

I asked chief judge Hribal what had happened and my understanding is that that number has been absorbed largely into the Adelaide Magistrates Court. I suppose there would have been the potential for them to go to the Mount Barker Magistrates Court, but, unfortunately, the previous government also restricted the trading hours of that court and, indeed, made it extremely difficult to be able to lodge any material for the pursuing of recovery under civil matters in that jurisdiction. So it now only sits, I think, a day a week, or something of that nature, but it's shamefully restricted.

As a result, I have called for some information in relation to the court itself and to the savings that were obtained. My recollection, when I moved a motion in this house whilst in opposition to condemn the then government for its action in relation to local courts and the operation of decentralised services, was that there was about $1 million claimed in relation to savings, but I would have to check that as to what was the position at that time.

Certainly, I have raised the question as to whether the police have decided if they want to continue to utilise the cells at that facility, which I understand they are currently doing, given that our government, of course, has been left with the rather difficult situation of our prisons being full and our cells and watch houses being used for the short-term detention of prisoners usually awaiting bail. I understand the back end of the court has continued to have utilisation in that regard; that is, to be able to deal with the overflow of people who are held in custody, either pending bail applications or for some other short-term protection in those circumstances.

Ms BEDFORD: Supplementary, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Supplementary.

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