A major safety overhaul is now locked in for the Maroochydore Courthouse, with $5 million of new funding guaranteeing long-planned domestic and family violence upgrades will go ahead.
The project will deliver a new safe room with direct access to a courtroom, providing vulnerable witnesses with a private and secure space to prepare and enter proceedings.
Security at the court’s front entry will also be strengthened, and the registry refurbished to support additional staff.
The construction tender is set to be released shortly, with works expected to begin before the end of the year and finish by mid-2026.
The Maroochydore Magistrates Court remains one of the busiest in the region for domestic and family violence matters. Between June in 2024 and 2025 it handled 787 applications for domestic violence orders and 1410 charges of contravening a domestic violence order.
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Deb Frecklington said victim-survivors would benefit directly from the improvements.
“I am very proud this important upgrade to the Maroochydore Courthouse can be completed thanks to the extra funding boost provided by our government,” she said.
“These critical upgrades will help victims of domestic and family violence navigate the court process, and deliver faster and safer access to justice, while ensuring offenders are held to account.”
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Member for Maroochydore Fiona Simpson said the project responded to a clear need in the community.
“We cannot underestimate the scale of domestic violence cases in our legal system,” she said.
“To address this scourge on the Sunshine Coast, but also across Queensland, we are equipping our courts to deliver justice.”
