NSW’s busiest court complex will remain shut for weeks and some trials are set to be aborted after flood damage from a burst water main in the Sydney CBD affected power and water to the building and shut down all electrical and IT systems.
The Downing Centre in Sydney, a heritage-listed building that was formerly Mark Foy’s flagship department store, is the venue for thousands of Local and District Court hearings a year.
Sydney’s Downing Centre court complex.Credit: Rhett Wyman
Flooding from a burst water main on Castlereagh Street on Tuesday caused significant damage to a plant room in the Downing Centre’s basement. It is likely to require the replacement of equipment supporting the building’s operations.
The Law Society of NSW said in an email to members that the chief judge of the District Court and chief magistrate of the Local Court had advised that the Downing Centre “will likely remain closed for at least the next few weeks until utilities are repaired and restored”.
“The chief judge further advises that it is inevitable that some part-heard trials will have to be aborted,” the society said. “The District Court’s present focus is to complete trials that are part-heard, particularly those where the proceedings have been ongoing where the accused is in custody.”
The burst water main outside the Downing Centre in Sydney on Tuesday.Credit: Nine News
It is not yet clear which trials will be affected by the Downing Centre’s closure.
John Maddison Tower (JMT), which adjoins the Downing Centre, is also used for some hearings, including NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal matters. On Thursday, some criminal matters were proceeding in JMT.
The sexual assault trial of Kiama MP Gareth Ward, which had been taking place in the Downing Centre, was among hundreds of matters affected by the incident on Tuesday. It was relocated up the road to the historic Darlinghurst Court.
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