16 January 2026
Significant progress is being made on an upgrade of the country’s largest and busiest courthouse, with seismic strengthening and service upgrades on the nine‑storey tower at Auckland District Court nearing completion.
Work on the five‑level base of the building has now begun, marking the next phase in this complex refurbishment.
Ministry of Justice Deputy Secretary Corporate Services, Dr Kelvin Watson says the milestone is a significant step forward in upgrading New Zealand’s busiest court.
“Keeping justice services running while we strengthen and modernise this building is no easy feat. It has taken careful planning and extensive night works to ensure hearings can continue during the day while construction on the 13-storey building progresses behind the scenes.
“These improvements will make the courthouse safer, more reliable and a better place to work, benefiting staff, the judiciary and the public who use the building every day.
“I want to acknowledge Crown Infrastructure Delivery (CID), which is planning and delivering this project for the Ministry as well as the main construction contractor LT McGuinness and the project team for achieving this milestone” Dr Watson says.
CID Chief Executive John O’Hagan says the programme demonstrates the value of well‑structured project delivery in a live environment.
“This is one of the most complex infrastructure refurbishments currently underway in New Zealand, being delivered in a live operational setting so the court remains open. CID’s partnership with the Ministry is sequencing works floor‑by‑floor and coordinating out‑of‑hours activity to minimise disruption and keep justice services operating” Mr O’Hagan says.
The Auckland District Court building is the largest in the country, with 35 courtrooms across approximately 28,000 square metres.
Its scale and complexity have made this upgrade one of the most challenging courthouse projects in New Zealand history. The programme includes seismic strengthening and replacement of ageing heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical, lighting and fire systems.
Work began on the Auckland District Court building in mid‑2024 and is due for completion in late 2028 and budgeted at $204 million.
ENDS
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