‘Half the new building is being constructed off-site,’ notes courts minister
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Courts Minister Nicole McKee have announced that construction has commenced on the new Papakura District Court, with an expected public opening date in early 2027 and an estimated construction budget of $34m.
In its news release, the government said it is using a modern approach to build the new courthouse.
“Half the new building is being constructed off-site,” McKee said in the news release. “These components will be delivered as prefabricated modules and then installed onsite. This is a way of building safely and efficiently, while reducing time, cost, and material resources, as we respond to demographic changes in the fast-growing South Auckland area.”
McKee shared that the new courthouse would contain three courtrooms, two hearing rooms, and a suite for vulnerable witnesses.
With the new courthouse, the government said it seeks to enhance key infrastructure and hasten judicial processes.
“Improving the quality of New Zealand’s infrastructure is vital to creating jobs, growing our economy and helping Kiwis with the cost of living,” Goldsmith said. “Better and more efficient court processes means people can spend less time and money on legal battles and instead move on with their lives.”
“Victims are our priority, and this helps return them to the heart of the justice system,” McKee said in the government’s news release.
“Improving court timeliness and access to justice is a major part of plan to restore law and order, which we know is working,” Goldsmith added. “Courts are an important part of our social fabric, where the law is enforced, civil disputes are resolved, and the rights of individuals upheld.”
On 4 December 2024, Goldsmith and McKee announced that the government would finance new courthouses for Papakura and Whanganui to help promote access to justice and court timeliness.
In another news release, Goldsmith announced that the government would increase the probate threshold amount in the Administration (Prescribed Amounts) Amendment Regulations to $40,000 from $15,000, with the change coming into force on 24 September 2025.
Goldsmith said raising the threshold would save families time and money when accessing the assets of their loved ones who have passed away. Goldsmith noted that the current threshold was imposed in 2009 prior to KiwiSaver’s implementation.
“Most estates now include KiwiSaver balances well over $15,000, but still have to go through the High Court process,” Goldsmith said in the news release. “This results in a significant proportion of smaller estates being eaten up in court costs and legal fees.”
Goldsmith said the government aims to enable executors to distribute lower-value assets without an expensive legal process and excessive paperwork, so they can help mourning families and ensure beneficiaries receive a bigger cut of the estate.
“I’m assured $40,000 is still sufficiently low enough to ensure there are still appropriate safeguards through the oversight of the High Court for higher value assets, to ensure against potential dishonesty, fraud, or the deceased person’s wishes not being followed,” Goldsmith said.
A news release from the justice ministry noted that the Law Commission urged the government to consider raising the threshold in its 2021 review of succession law, while a 2024 report from Parliament’s Petitions Committee also recommended a change.
In the government’s news release, Goldsmith said the justice ministry conducted a targeted consultation with stakeholders such as the legal profession and the financial services industry to seek insights into the proper threshold.
In its news release, the justice ministry shared that it has an internal standard of resolving 75 percent of probate applications within 15 working days and completed 89 percent as of June 2025.
