Premier and Braddon MP Jeremy Rockliff and Attorney-General Elise Archer must step in and find a solution to ensure the North-West Coast community is not left disadvantaged by the decision of the Family Court to stop holding hearings in Burnie.
This decision, which will now see hearings held in Launceston, will have a devastating impact on North West residents.
Many run the risk of not being able to appear at their own cases due to financial constraints or a lack of transport options.
This is a major injustice for the people of the North-West Coast and highly stressful for families dealing with one of the most difficult times of their lives.
While the court is of federal jurisdiction, Family Court hearings were previously able to be heard at the Burnie Magistrates Court, Burnie Supreme Court and the Burnie Civic Centre.
While these options are no longer available, the minority Liberal Government can step in to work on other options to support those North-West Coast residents to make sure hearings can keep being held in Burnie.
A first step would be to work with the Federal Government and Burnie City Council to find an immediate solution.
And in the longer term, the Rockliff Government must ensure that the new Burnie Courthouse development caters for Family Court Circuit hearings when planning and building this important infrastructure.
June 1 2023