Wyndham Law Courts Development

Render of the Wyndham Law Courts, main entry

 

Court Services Victoria is delivering a new state-of-the-art court facility for Melbourne's rapidly growing west.

The Wyndham Law Courts will be the largest court complex outside of the central business district, bringing together the Magistrates' Court of Victoria, the Children's Court of Victoria and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) with specialist courts and services.

The new courts are under construction adjacent to the Werribee Police Station and will feature 13 courtrooms, four hearing rooms, three mediation suites and 26 holding cells.

 

Render of the Wyndham Law Courts, exterior aerial view

 

Wyndham's future court will:

  • Meet the needs of diverse court users with a responsive building design that integrates current technologies to enable remote hearings, display of digital evidence, and video conferencing alongside conveniences like Wi-Fi and charging stations.
  • Improve service integration with the the co-location of relevant agencies and services, and numerous bookable meeting rooms, offering efficient, flexible use of the new courts' spaces
  • Deliver safety and accessibility for court users, the judiciary, and staff, with separate entrances and waiting spaces, secure entry points, and active monitoring.

Design and build

Designed by Lyons Architects and built by Lendlease, Wyndham's future court will prioritise user experience, safety, sustainability, and technological capability.

The look and feel aims to support a more therapeutic approach to justice services, using natural light, a neutral interior palette, and organic features including a rammed-earth wall and greenery to create a welcoming, calming environment.

Connection to Culture, History & Ecology

As custodians of the land, the Bunurong, the Traditional Owners, are deeply embedded in the language, culture, and heritage of this place. The design of the building pays homage to this profound connection, weaving together the natural context, built environment, and cultural legacy to nurture a meaningful bond between people, land, and community.

Through thoughtfully curated internal finishes and landscaping, the building will become a vessel for storytelling, highlighting the richness of Bunurong heritage and fostering an enduring connection to Country.


Cultural Design

The future Courts aim to improve cultural safety for those accessing justice services. A Court Services Victoria-led art advisory panel with local First Nations representation is reviewing applications received.

Find out about the themes being explored.


Consultation

Community and justice stakeholders are helping to plan the services available and contribute to the operations of the new court. Areas of focus include:

  • easy access to information and services
  • triage, assessment of individual needs, and proactive case management 
  • cross-jurisdictional collaboration to deliver the best outcomes for people, throughout the life of a matter
  • a culture of customer-service and continuous improvement.

Project delivery

The 2020-21 state budget committed $271m for the future Wyndham Law Courts. Court Services Victoria leads the project, together with:

  • Lendlease: Main works contractor
  • Turner & Townsend: Project Manager
  • Slattery: Quantity Surveyor
  • PLP Building Surveyors: Certifying Building Surveyor
  • Lyons Architecture: Principal Design Consultant, leading a team of subconsultants including:
    • Rush Wright: Landscape Architects
    • Greenaway Architects: Indigenous design
    • Introba: Building Services
    • ID-Lab: wayfinding

Construction of the Wyndham Law Courts will be completed in late 2024.

The new Courts will service communities across the 17 suburbs that comprise the Wyndham local government area, in addition to others that border Wyndham. The Magistrates' Court, Children's Court and VCAT are working to finalise their respective catchments and expect to release more information in the coming months

Updates will continue to be published on this page as the Wyndham Law Courts is built.

Questions? Please contact us at wyndham.court.development@courts.vic.gov.au


See the designs of the future law courts:

Mentions courtroom

Waiting area

Wintergarden

Waiting area

This page was last updated: Wednesday 2 October 2024 - 5:13pm