Some court staff have been told their jobs will shift from downtown Auckland to a suburb 10km away.

The Ministry of Justice has proposed disestablishing a dozen court registry officers at Auckland District Court in Albert St.

Those staff from the Disputes Tribunal and Tenancy Tribunal have been “offered reassignment” to Ellerslie.

The Public Service Association (PSA) said the “cost-cutting” move would jeopardise members of the public needing court assistance.

“This is a proposal driven by cost-cutting, not by any genuine plan to improve services for New Zealanders who use these tribunals,” PSA organiser Duane Leo told the Herald.

“Our members at Auckland District Court have deep specialist knowledge built up over years.

“Shifting them to Ellerslie and away from the court means losing direct access to judges, to physical files, and to the people who walk through the door needing help.”

He said a suggested “consultation period” for staff was shambolic.

“Staff have been given just three weeks to respond to a 40-page restructure proposal that fundamentally changes how these tribunals operate. That is not genuine consultation.”

He added: “The ministry’s own digital systems are years away from being ready. Moving staff away from physical files before digitisation is complete is a recipe for delays, errors and worse outcomes for the public.”

Leo said elderly and vulnerable court users relied on face-to-face specialist help at the counter and would be left without it if the proposal went ahead.

“That is not an improvement in service delivery,” he said.

“Workers are also facing longer commutes with no permanent travel support offered. The ministry has not even provided basic information about parking or disability access at the new site.”

The proposal was being pushed without any respect for the professionals or consideration for access to justice, he said.

“Once again, we see a Government agency cutting corners to meet budget targets set by the Government, with no proper thought given to the impact on the people who rely on these services.”

A proposal suggested the “incumbents” whose jobs were disestablished would be reassigned to new national registry officer positions.

Those positions would report to a proposed “team manager centralised services (Auckland)” position within the Central Registry Services.

The Tāmaki Makaurau Māori Land Court already exists at Ellerslie. It is 100m from the train station.

Former Criminal Bar Association president Gary Gotlieb said if the Ellerslie site had good parking and other facilities, then as “Devil’s advocate” he could understand why a case for change was being made.

A proposal to move Auckland District Court years ago was abandoned after backlash from the legal profession, he said.

The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment.