SENATOR THE HON AMANDA STOKER
Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General
Assistant Minister for Industrial Relations
Assistant Minister for Women
LNP Senator for Queensland
THE HON MICHELLE LANDRY MP
Assistant Minister for Children and Families
Assistant Minister for Northern Australia
Federal Member for Capricornia
Media Release
Amanda Stoker, Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General and Michelle Landry, Federal Member for Capricornia have today officially opened the upgraded Federal Court in Rockhampton.
Commonwealth Court facilities in Rockhampton have received a $2.3 million upgrade as part of the Australian Government’s commitment to improving legal services for regional Australians.
Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General, Senator Amanda Stoker said “These new facilities will ensure the Court continues to maintain its presence in Rockhampton, serving Central Queensland families who are separating.
“The Government is committed to reforming the family law system to ensure that it meets the needs of families by delivering a safe, child-centred, supportive, accessible, timely and efficient system.
“Michelle has been relentless in her efforts to ensure that the Rockhampton Registry had the appropriate premises for the Judge and their staff, for legal practitioners and for vulnerable family law litigants,” Senator Stoker said.
Federal Member for Capricornia Michelle Landry said she was pleased to see the opening of the new premises of the Federal Court Circuit judge in Rockhampton.
“I fought hard to deliver a Federal Circuit Court Judge to Rockhampton and it was a welcome addition to the judicial system in Central Queensland.
“Some years ago, I spoke with the legal fraternity in Rockhampton and they told me how much the extra court space was desperately needed. Now, this new $2.3 million modern facility is delivered and I couldn’t be prouder.
“The delivery of the Federal Court Circuit judge to Rockhampton was one of the most significant changes to the judicial system in Rockhampton in 40 years. The court will allow families to have their situations dealt with safely and sensitively while relieving delays and costs for litigants,” Ms Landry said.
The Government has made significant additional investments in the family law system, including many recent initiatives to ensure the system protects victims of family violence and measures in the recent October 2020 Budget. These include:
• more than $140 million for the courts and family law system in the last Budget, including increases in funding for the federal family law courts, particularly for the Federal Circuit Court, to support an additional family law judge, 5 extra family law registrars and support staff to assist with the demands in family law registries across the country,
• The Lighthouse Project, which screens, triages and case manages matters involving family violence,
• The placement of police and child protection officials in family law registries to improve information sharing,
• Establishing the Family Advocacy and Support Services in the federal family law courts, which funds duty lawyer and social workers in federal family law courts, and
• Increased legal funding through the new National Legal Assistance Partnership agreement.
