The Nationals Member for Murray Valley, Ken Jasper, is extremely disappointed at the lack of response to his latest representations to the Attorney General Rob Hulls seeking urgent renovation works at Wangaratta’s iconic Court House.

Mr Jasper confirmed today he had raised the issue in the Parliament in March 2010 and in correspondence and personal discussions with the Attorney General, highlighting that part of the building had had to be closed down.

He said that because of concerns with the deterioration of the building and major structural problems, the Sheriff’s Office has been relocated from the building and Court Three has been closed due to occupational health and safety concerns.

To date, there has been no response from the Attorney General to my urgent representations since part of the Court House has been closed, Mr Jasper said.

This is most disappointing as the Wangaratta Court complex and the services offered here are critical to the legal system in North East Victoria, he said, The Court House provides for a wide range of legal processes and hearings, ranging from Supreme Court through County and Magistrate’s Court sittings and various panel hearings, and it is essential it be able to operate at full capacity to properly service this region.

Mr Jasper pointed out that in response to his representations on the need for major renovations to the Court House early last year, the Attorney General had informed him in April 2009 that local consulting engineers engaged late in 2007 to determine the structural adequacy of the Court had reported that the building was sound and safe to occupy.

My investigations suggest there has been a further engineers report into the building, indicating the need for substantial underpinning works to be carried out before any refurbishment can take place, indicating a substantial deterioration of the building since the Attorney General’s response early last year.

He noted that the art deco Court House, built in 1938 at a cost of 14,000 pounds, had been repainted last year, with shrubs removed and root barriers installed to stabilise the building.