Where we are up to
The County Court expansion to Wodonga was launched on 11 November 2022.
The County Koori Court recently completed recruitment; nine new Elders/Respected Persons (ERPs) have been appointed across Mildura, Geelong, Warrnambool, Shepparton and Melbourne with local RAJAC endorsement of each applicant.
With COVID-19 restrictions easing, Koori Court (KC) sittings returned to face-to-face in most regions. Some courts are operating via the court hybrid model which allows for Elders and Respected Persons to attend online via WebEx. Given Melbourne is still experiencing COVID outbreaks, the Koori Court Unit is continuing to ensure that each Koori Court location is operating in a COVID-safe manner.
Expansion of Koori Courts to Wodonga and Wangaratta is complete. Wodonga commenced sitting on 8 April 2022 and Wangaratta on 13 May (the Wangaratta sitting did not proceed as there were no clients booked into the court). Wodonga KC launched on 29 July with Wangaratta to be scheduled soon. Dates are scheduled around the Attorney-General’s availability.
The Dhumba Murmuk Djerring Unit has supported coordinated discussions across Court Services Victoria (CSV) regarding Koori programs as part of Wyndham court expansion, and are engaged with the Major Projects team regarding ongoing discussions across CSV and Traditional Owners regarding the Bendigo Courts Precinct.