Dannevirke Courthouse temporarily vacated for asbestos removal
3 June 2026
The Dannevirke courthouse will be vacated temporarily from next Friday 5 June for asbestos removal from the roof cavity and parts of the exterior.
The courthouse will close from 5- 25 June and again from 2-8 July.
While no judicial court sittings are scheduled during the closures, the Ministry of Justice is reassuring the public that any disruption to court services will be carefully managed.
Specialists have confirmed the building itself is safe to occupy as there is no asbestos in the parts of the building that are occupied.
The Dannevirke District Court hears a small number of criminal, civil and Family Court matters.
“Access to justice for court participants, whānau and the local community remains a priority,” Ministry of Justice Deputy Secretary Corporate Services, Dr Kelvin Watson says.
“We are informing justice sector partners and the legal profession about the planned mix of local and remote service arrangements while we get this issue sorted.”
During the closures, first court appearances will be attended to by the court registrar at the nearby police station.
In-person counter services will be paused. Court staff will work remotely while in-person and can be contacted via email.
A drop box to file physical documents will be available outside the courthouse and will be cleared twice daily.
Justice services are also available as normal online through the Ministry website, including the ability to pay fines, apply for criminal record checks and information about going to court.
Local Justices of the Peace can be found online through the Royal Federation of NZ Justice’s Associations or at the Citizens Advice Bureau and Dannevirke Community Library.
“The health and safety of people coming to court, including the judiciary and staff is our top priority. The asbestos removal will be completed following strict safety protocols, and the roof replaced to enable normal operations to resume as quickly as possible,” says Dr Watson.
The Ministry has engaged a specialist asbestos removal firm, which has confirmed that no asbestos has been identified in the occupied areas of the courthouse and the site is safe to occupy. However, the building must be sealed off while the complex removal work takes place.
Anyone expecting to come to court can call 0800 COURTS (0800 268 787).
Dannevirke District Court registry staff can be emailed at: Dannevirke.dc@justice.govt.nz
Find a Justice of the Peace: Royal Federation of NZ Justices' Associations(external link)
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