Hon Amy Adams

Minister of Justice
Minister for Courts

10 August 2016
Media Statement

Justice collaboration will save money and improve services

Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams, says justice service co-locations and refurbishments in two Auckland courts will save more than $5.3 million over 10 years and improve support for victims of crime.

The National Transcription Service will be folded into the North Shore District Court, and the Legal Complaints Review Office and the Weather Tight Homes unit will be relocated to the Auckland District Court.

Ms Adams says the co-locations make good economic sense and support Government efforts to reduce leased Crown office space and encourage more sharing of facilities.

“Bringing services together means savings on Crown rental costs that can instead be put into service delivery, where it’ll make the biggest difference,” Ms Adams says.

The National Transcription Service team of 35 staff are currently housed in the ANZ Centre in Albany, while the Weather Tight Homes unit and the Legal Complaints Review Office, with a combined total of 24 people, are operating from the AA building on Albert Street in downtown Auckland.

“This is one of a number of recent opportunities taken across the justice sector to improve efficiency and service quality through greater collaboration and more sharing of infrastructure.”

The North Shore District Court co-location will include other refurbishments to improve services, such as the merging of the separate service counters, creating a one-stop shop for all enquiries. The registry has also been redesigned to keep separate people making customer enquiries from those waiting to be served with bails and orders after appearing in court.

New facilities for victim advisors, and the development of a separate waiting area for victims and other vulnerable witnesses, will provide more support for victims of crime.

“The refurbishments will make for a better experience for both victims and people visiting the Court, helping them to feel safe and comfortable.”

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