DISTRICT COURT RURAL SITTINGS
The Hon. PATRICIA STAUNTON: My question without notice is directed to the Attorney General. Will he inform the House of the proposed allocation of sittings of the District Court in rural areas of the State for 1997?
The Hon. J. W. SHAW: This information will be of particular interest to honourable members in country areas who are concerned about District Court sittings. I am pleased to advise the House that
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Judge Blanch, Chief Judge of the District Court, has finalised the calendar of District Court sittings for 1997. When compared with the 1996 allocation of sittings in the published calendar, this indicates an overall increase of 20 per cent in District Court country sittings for 1997. I have been assured by the chief judge that the allocations have been made on the basis of existing workloads, balanced with the needs of all communities across the State and the overall view of improving the efficiency and service delivery of the District Court.
As all honourable members would be aware, the District Court provides an essential service to the parties that come before it. It is of great importance to ensure the rights of all citizens throughout the State to obtain equitable access to this service. Under the leadership of the chief judge, the court has rationalised its sittings to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency and fairness of its service delivery to rural communities. The chief judge's initiative to regionalise various District Court centres commenced with the court's 1996 sittings. The rationalisation was aimed at providing an efficient and effective manner of disposing of the bulk of the court's civil work and enhancing the level of service provided to rural communities.
The level of sittings allocated to particular rural centres has been linked to increases or reductions of court workloads in those centres. This is as it should be, as the court's resources should not provide for sittings at venues where the case load does not warrant them. The effective utilisation of the District Court's resources will result in reduced delays, greater flexibility in listing arrangements and the aggregation of sufficient work to justify circuit arbitrators. The use of arbitrators in this way will provide parties with an opportunity for quicker and cheaper resolution of disputes.
I am pleased to advise honourable members that in 1997 the sittings of the District Court will increase in country areas, excluding Gosford, Newcastle and Wollongong. Criminal sittings of the District Court will increase by 31 weeks, or 12 per cent; civil sittings of the District Court will increase by 35 weeks, or 42 per cent; and combined sittings of the District Court - that is, civil and criminal lists - will increase by three weeks, or 37 per cent. In the aggregate, there will be an overall increase of 20 per cent in 1997, which is a significant achievement for the District Court and the Government.
The Hon. Dr B. P. V. Pezzutti: Will it happen the following year as well?
The Hon. J. W. SHAW: Each year is looked at individually; it will depend on the workload in each region as it is done on a rational basis. We cannot dogmatically predict what will happen in a succeeding year.
The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Dr B. P. V. Pezzutti will cease interjecting.
The Hon. J. W. SHAW: The Government and the court system have made a tangible commitment to rural New South Wales. It is appropriate for clients and practitioners to obtain greater and localised access to an important court - the court that hears the majority of criminal matters in New South Wales and also has a heavy civil case load.