STRATEGIC ASSET PLAN

DELIVERING SAFE, SECURE AND SUSTAINABLE COURT AND TRIBUNAL ASSETS VIA EXCELLENT AND EXPERT ASSET MANAGEMENT

2016–2031 Court Services acknowledges the This report may also be downloaded Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from the Court Services Victoria website as the Traditional Custodians of the land. www.courts.vic.gov.au Court Services Victoria also acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders, past and present. Enquires Court Services Victoria This report is protected by copyright. Apart 223 William Street from any use permitted under the Copyright Act Victoria 3000 1968 (Cth), all rights are reserved. Email: [email protected]

© Court Services Victoria

Published by Court Services Victoria Design: Andrew Hogg Design November 2016

Cover image: Supreme Court of Victoria Image above: Coroners Court of Victoria 1

CONTENTS

1 THE PURPOSE 2 2 THE VISION 2

3 THE SERVICE PLAN 2 4 THE KEY PRIORITIES 3 5 THE DELIVERY 3 6 THE ENVIRONMENT 3 7 THE STRATEGY 4 8 ACCESSIBLE JUSTICE THROUGHOUT VICTORIA 6 8.1 CBD 6 8.1.1 Issues 6 8.1.2 Opportunities 6 8.2 Metropolitan Melbourne 7 8.2.1 Issues 7 8.2.2 Opportunities 7 8.3 Regional Victoria 9 8.3.1 Issues 9 8.3.2 Opportunities 9

9 FUNDING 10 10 SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS 10 11 APPENDICES 12 Appendix 1 Court Services Delineation Model 12

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1.0 2.0 3.0 THE THE THE PURPOSE VISION SERVICE PLAN

Delivering safe, secure Court Services Victoria (CSV) aims to The Victorian courts and tribunals operate and sustainable court enable provision of accessible justice for as an interconnected network in their all Victorians through a portfolio service delivery across Victoria, from and tribunal assets via of buildings that are safe, secure and the Melbourne CBD to metropolitan and excellent and expert sustainable to meet the service needs of regional areas. Demand for court and asset management. the jurisdictions, court and tribunal users tribunal services across Victoria, driven and community, now and into the future. primarily by population, is occurring at different rates meaning that some areas The guiding principles for delivering this are under significant pressure while other vision are: areas have little or decreasing demand. • Accessibility to justice in all forms to be maximised A Court Services Delineation Model (detailed at Appendix 1) provides a • Safe, sustainable and fit-for-purpose framework for identifying service court environments to be provided provision requirements, location, type and • Technology-enabled solutions to be future need within defined catchments on incorporated a state-wide basis. • Partnerships with agencies, authorities The needs of the different jurisdictions and the community to be sought vary significantly, particularly between • Existing asset base and capability to be the CBD and metropolitan areas. The optimised service plan identifies priorities within, but not between, the CBD, metropolitan Melbourne, and regional Victoria.

“We should be safe and easy to do business with across all touch-points in whatever form”

“We should be safe and easy to do business with across all touch-points in whatever form” 3

4.0 5.0 6.0 THE KEY THE THE PRIORITIES DELIVERY ENVIRONMENT

Key areas of focus: CSV’s strategy for delivering safe, secure CSV’s asset portfolio is diverse and and sustainable courts and tribunals via geographically spread around Victoria, • Enabling specialist court infrastructure excellent and expert asset management from major buildings in the Precinct including family violence response is centred on taking a service-driven and metropolitan areas, through to • Ensuring safe, flexible, future proofed strategic approach that is informed and single courtroom facilities dispersed and fit-for-purpose environments evidence-based. The whole asset lifecycle throughout regional Victoria, with a total • Delivering Melbourne CBD Legal will be considered, with expert capability of 75 buildings. While most properties Precinct (the Precinct) development gathered on this basis, working in an are Crown-owned and vested in CSV, a requirements environment of continuous improvement number are leased, either commercially to ensure that CSV’s assets meet the or in arrangements with local councils. • Delivering Melbourne growth corridor service needs of the Victorian community. The portfolio includes many significant development priorities This methodology is detailed in the Asset and heritage-listed courts, many of these • Implementing the Court Services Management Framework. buildings are in poor condition, with Delineation Model across metropolitan only 16% meeting or exceeding CSV’s and regional Victoria Safe, secure and sustainable courts Building Condition Assessment minimum • Identifying a set of principles that and tribunals will be those that have benchmark. will determine proper priorities and a systematic program of upgrades to allocation of resources for new capital ensure that they meet best practice, While leasing properties offers flexibility works and maintenance of the existing the requirements of the Court Services and efficiency, it is essential that this is asset base both within and between Delineation Model and the benchmarks done in a strategic manner, with forward the CBD, metropolitan Melbourne, and that CSV sets in its regular Building planning and a commercial focus to regional Victoria. Condition Assessment reviews. These are optimise lease outcomes across the categorised into condition, compliance, portfolio. functionality and safety. Technology enablement is a key driver to meeting these benchmarks and the service needs of the courts and tribunals.

CSV’s asset portfolio consists of 75 buildings of which only 16% meet or exceed CSV’s Building Condition Assessment minimum benchmark.

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7.0 THE STRATEGY

The key recommendations of the The strategy responds to the defined Strategic Asset Plan are: service needs of all jurisdictions, incorporating the following components • Build and enhance Victoria’s network over a 15 year period: of court and tribunal assets consistent with the guiding principles to properly • Investment in ten new court and cater for present community need and tribunal facilities future demand. • Expansion of five xistinge court and • Develop Victoria’s network of court and tribunal facilities tribunal assets as one interconnected • Upgrade and lifecycle management system. across the court portfolio • Distribute services to ensure that – Accommodating the new Court provision of access to court and tribunal Services Delineation Model services is relative to the distribution – Replacing/upgrading critical and demand from the population. infrastructure • Implement the Court Services – Increase in recurrent maintenance Delineation Model (refer Appendix 1) to funding ensure equitable and consistent court services availability and distribution. • Divestment of up to thirteen properties • Drive technology-enabled access, • Release of up to ten leased properties. service efficiency and safety for all parties.

• Divest and invest in court and tribunal assets to optimise the efficiency and utilisation of buildings in accordance with the proposed Court Services Delineation Model. • Ensure flexible use of assets via leasing, multi-jurisdictional sharing, co-location and links with local community. • Develop integrated service delivery networks and precincts.

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Children’s Court at Broadmeadows COURT SERVICES VICTORIA STRATEGIC ASSET PLAN 6

8.0 ACCESSIBLE JUSTICE THROUGHOUT VICTORIA

8.1 CBD

The Precinct is at the heart of the 8.1.1 • Establish the resources required to plan Victorian courts asset portfolio. The ISSUES and implement the future majority of the jurisdictions have their Public Private Partnership contract to • Increased service demand in CBD by state headquarter court located there, ensure appropriate service provision and 26.8% by 2031. with VCAT and Coroners Court of resources during the next contract phase. • Constraints in development potential Victoria being the exceptions. The Precinct • Prioritise occupation within the in Precinct due to: is created by the Victorian courts, Precinct by each jurisdiction (including plus CSV, the Commonwealth Law Courts, – Lack of available undeveloped land VCAT) of central headquarters fit for the university law schools and multiple legal – Lack of future proofing capacity purposes of future service delivery needs. firms and agencies, including Office of – Cost of development in CBD • Optimise CSV owned buildings in the Public Prosecutions, Commonwealth Precinct via divestment of properties Director of Public Prosecutions, Victoria – Existing heritage building constraints. and leases no longer required. Legal Aid, • Supreme Court infrastructure is no Victorian Bar and the Law Institute of longer fit-for-purpose with insufficient • Enable efficiencies through sharing of Victoria, all of which make up a concentrated and inadequate facilities resulting in core specialist facilities that support and vibrant legal eco-system. significant issues including safety and court function including custody, PIC security, demand, functionality, condition, transfers, knowledge and technology, It is recognised that there is a premium to compliance and risk of failure. security, information management and occupy land in the Precinct, particularly customer services. given the rapid expansion of that part • Need for new County Court contract • Balance investment in the Precinct of the city and a high concentration of phase from 2022. with investigation of opportunities to development that has already occurred in • Significant issues with Melbourne decentralise a percentage of demand the area. Therefore future development Magistrates’ Court (custody, increasing for jurisdictions (not including the planning must be strategic in the Precinct demand and specialisations, end of Supreme Court; and which assesses to constrain cost and optimise utilisation lifecycle phase, continuing pressure on whether to consider the County Court) in an economical and responsible space). to metropolitan Melbourne. investment strategy. • Dispersed jurisdictions, with • Ensure that future development VCAT outside Precinct and other solutions within the Precinct provide jurisdictions spread across multiple certainty for the sustainability and buildings, diminish economies of future service needs and demands of scale and opportunities for efficiency, the Children’s Court. effectiveness and collegiality. • Assess potential for a large high security facility to cater for the 8.1.2 Supreme Court and the County Court OPPORTUNITIES either at Wyndham or but • Support the retention and development easily accessible from the major of the Precinct. prisons to be included in a multi- • Develop and construct a new purpose- jurisdictional facility development in built Supreme Court within the either location. Precinct, ending the campus model of Supreme Court infrastructure. • Develop alternative uses by the Supreme Court and related institutions within the Precinct (educational, support, professions) for the existing Supreme Court historic buildings.

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8.2 METROPOLITAN MELBOURNE

Metropolitan Melbourne is considered 8.2.1 Western growth corridor: in three sub-regions: Metro West, ISSUES • Prioritise the development of a new Metro North and Metro South-East. • The total population of metropolitan multi-jurisdictional Level 2 headquarter Court services in these areas make up Melbourne exceeds 4.5 million people court at Wyndham to replace the small approximately 42% of demand across and is forecast to grow at an average and not fit-for-purpose Werribee Victoria. There are 10 main Magistrates’ rate of 1.7% per annum to 2031. Magistrates’ Court to relieve current Courts and two additional VCAT facilities. and future pressures on the south-west • While there is forecast future growth, The courts also house the Children’s Court (including the surrounding peri-urban some areas, in particular the south- of Victoria and VCAT. Higher jurisdiction areas) and to act as an unlocking piece east and south-west corridors, have service demand is met in the Precinct. for demand and enabling works in the already seen unprecedented growth, Precinct. putting pressure on existing facilities. • Address additional future growth in the • Pressure also exists from peri-urban west, including surrounding peri-urban areas, those towns on the fringe areas with a future new Level 3 court at of Melbourne that are currently Melton. considered to be regional, and so are serviced by small regional one or • Pilot light footprint Level 5 facilities in two courtroom facilities, but whose Werribee as a way of addressing some substantial population growth will of the current demand. mean that in the future they will be South-East growth corridor: considered metropolitan and will place • Undertake an expansion (potential increasing pressure on the network. for staging) of Dandenong Court to meet current and future demand and 8.2.2 upgrade it to a Level 2 headquarter OPPORTUNITIES court, including expansion of services to enable higher jurisdiction (County The existing courts are generally (with Court) inclusion if required. exceptions) relatively large, typically being 6-8 courtrooms, however are located • Address additional future growth in in areas that are already quite densely the south-east, including surrounding populated, so opportunities for expansion peri-urban areas with a future new to meet increasing demand need to be Level 3 court at Officer. carefully considered. In areas where Northern growth corridor: there will be future demand, land must • Address additional future growth in the be identified now (as is the case at east north, including surrounding peri- Werribee and Melton, where land has urban areas with a future new Level 2 been allocated by Metropolitan Planning headquarter court at Craigieburn and a Authority for future justice precincts) so Level 3 court at Whittlesea. that it will be available when required. • Pilot light footprint Level 5 facilities in South Morang as a way of addressing some of the current demand.

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8.3 REGIONAL VICTORIA

Regional Victoria is considered in five 8.3.2 regions: Barwon South West; Grampians; OPPORTUNITIES Loddon Mallee; Hume and Gippsland. • Support the progressive upgrade of Each region has a headquarter court and regional facilities to accommodate a number of supporting courts. Growth their Court Services Delineation Model and demand across Victoria is mixed, with status and to address safety and significant expansion limited to a number fit-for-purpose issues. of main regional centres, primarily coming from within the adjacent regions, meaning • Prioritise the redevelopment of Bendigo that demand often requires redistribution Law Courts to reflect its importance as to meet service needs, rather than a Level 2 regional headquarter court additional capacity in the system. and to address significant safety and fit-for-purpose issues. 8.3.1 • Expand the capacity at Level 2 regional ISSUES headquarter courts in Geelong and Latrobe Valley to meet future demand Many of the smaller regional courts are and service requirements. Consider the single courtroom buildings and the stock opportunities presented by the Geelong is generally aging, in poor condition and Revitalisation Project for potential not fit-for-purpose, with many safety development of new Geelong Law issues. Courts. • Develop a new Level 3 court at to meet Level 3R service needs in East Gippsland, supported by the existing court at Sale, which becomes a Level 4 court as part of the new Court Services Delineation Model. • Consider the operational planning of the new Level 2 court at as a pilot for a true multi-jurisdictional court model. • Investigate divestment opportunities for a number of small, low demand courts in regional areas, where the development of a state-wide online access hub strategy could provide access to services on a continuous basis rather than the current limited access. • Investigate options to optimise lower use courts by enabling alternative functions when not in use, or by divesting assets and seeking use of other community facilities for court function.

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9.0 10.0 FUNDING SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

Current and historical funding for court The Strategic Asset Plan is supported by asset management has been constrained the following key documents: and below levels that are required to maintain and develop appropriate court • CSV Asset Management Framework environments. The Strategic Asset Plan • CSV Services and Infrastructure Study provides a strategic and evidence based • Melbourne CBD Legal Precinct: framework to inform government of the A Vision for the Future paper. current and future needs of courts. This ensures a comprehensive and clearly articulated investment pipeline. To support the plan CSV will rely on a range of funding inputs including:

• Increased maintenance budgets to ensure attainment and maintenance of appropriate benchmark standards. • Depreciation funding to support planned lifecycle works and minor- medium scale priority capital upgrades or developments. • State Government capital funding sourced through business cases and delivered through public or private procurement; State Government recurrent budgets sourced through business cases to further develop and procure leased properties. • Reinvestment in key priority assets from funds gained through divestment of identified properties. • Grants (e.g. heritage and sustainability) to deliver specialised programs. • Potential to host co-tenants in court properties to share and offset maintenance and upkeep costs; potential to forgo low utilisation courts in favour of sharing facilities of other agencies.

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COURT SERVICES VICTORIA STRATEGIC ASSET PLAN Shepparton Law Courts 12

11.0 APPENDICES

Appendix 1 LEVEL DESCRIPTION COURT SERVICES DELINEATION MODEL Level 1 Central and highest profile state headquarter courts (CBD) and tribunal The Court Services Delineation Model Individual jurisdiction facilities of state significance has been developed to provide service planning consistency across the asset Accommodation for large cases of high complexity portfolio and to inform asset investment. Significant custody capacity and capability to cater for high The model aims to promote resourcing security requirements efficiency and integrated and accessible court services across metropolitan and Critical co-locations and resource effectiveness with regional networks. other jurisdictions Size, scale and critical mass of expertise and facilities, supported by extensive legal eco-system define Level Level 2M (Metro) Multi-jurisdictional headquarter courts (including potential Level 2R (Regional) higher jurisdiction capacity) servicing metropolitan regions (North, West, South-East) Multi-jurisdictional headquarter courts (including all jurisdictions) servicing each regional area Capacity to provide specialist services (e.g. security courts, Drug Court House, family violence specialist courts) Custody capability and secure judicial facilities Supported by localised legal eco-systems and potential connections with other justice support services Level 3M (Metro) Multi-jurisdictional courts (excluding higher jurisdictions) Level 3R (Regional) supporting Level 2M courts in metropolitan regions Multi-jurisdictional courts (with capacity to include all jurisdictions) supporting Level 2R headquarter courts in each regional area – locations defined by distance from Level 2R courts Capacity to provide and connect with specialist services (e.g. family violence specialist courts and support services) Custody capability and secure judicial facilities Supported by localised legal eco-systems Level 4M (Metro) Multi-jurisdictional courts (excluding higher jurisdictions) Level 4R (Regional) supporting Level 2 and 3 courts Connections with local communities and agencies, and links to specialist services (e.g. family violence specialist courts) Custody capability

Level 5M (Metro) Lightest footprint and more informal facilities for limited Level 5R (Regional) lower jurisdiction activities Focus on hearings, mediation, conferencing etc, with judicial officer/ registry capacity Potential for multi-use community facility Agile to meet demand with potential for pop-up capacity to meet short term service needs No custody capability

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Top: Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Right: County Court of Victoria COURT SERVICES VICTORIA STRATEGIC ASSET PLAN 14

For further information visit www.courts.vic.gov.au

COURT SERVICES VICTORIA STRATEGIC ASSET PLAN