NSW Coonamble Local Court List Today

The Coonamble Local Court list is the daily record of every matter set down before the court at 27 Aberford Street, Coonamble NSW 2829, in the central western plains of New South Wales. Whether you are a defendant, a witness, a legal practitioner or a family member supporting someone, this page helps you confirm a hearing date, check a courtroom allocation and see the listed start time before you travel. Because Coonamble is a small regional centre, the courthouse does not sit every business day, so checking the current list matters even more here than it does in a metropolitan court that runs continuously.

Coonamble sits roughly 480 kilometres north-west of Sydney and serves a farming district known for wheat, wool and sheep production. The Local Court is the entry point for almost all legal proceedings in the area, and the daily law list reflects the mix of criminal, traffic, civil and domestic violence work that a country court handles on a single sitting day.

Coonamble Local Court address and contact details

Use the details below to confirm arrangements before attending. The registry is not staffed every day, so phone ahead if your matter is time sensitive.

• Street address: 27 Aberford Street, Coonamble NSW 2829, near the Coonamble Police Station
• Postal address: PO Box 37, Coonamble NSW 2829
• Phone: 1300 679 272, staffed 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday
• Fax: (02) 6822 6290
• Registry counter hours: 9:30 am to 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm on open days
• Facilities: Audio Visual Link (AVL) is available, and the courthouse provides wheelchair access

Registry hours and sitting arrangements

Coonamble Local Court operates on a periodic circuit rather than sitting continuously. Magistrates travel to Coonamble as part of the Western New South Wales circuit, and the registry opens on designated days each month rather than every weekday. Sitting days can also be cut or added at short notice depending on the volume of listed work, which is why the online court list is the only reliable way to confirm that your matter is proceeding on the date you expect. The presiding officer is named on each day's published list, and the allocated magistrate can vary from one circuit to the next.

What the Coonamble Local Court list covers

The Local Court is the busiest tier of the New South Wales court system, and Coonamble's daily law list reflects that breadth. A single sitting day can move through first mentions, adjournments, bail applications, sentence hearings and defended hearings. The main categories of work are set out below.

Criminal and traffic matters

Most listings involve summary criminal offences and traffic matters. These include drink driving and drug driving, driving while suspended or disqualified, licence appeals, minor assaults, theft, drug possession, malicious damage to property and public order offences. More serious indictable charges also begin in the Local Court through committal proceedings before they are sent to the District Court. Across New South Wales, traffic and vehicle offences are consistently the single largest category, with 45,371 defendants found guilty on that principal offence in the year to June 2025.

Civil claims and small claims

The Local Court hears civil disputes up to $100,000. The Small Claims Division deals with claims up to $20,000, which typically cover unpaid debts, goods and services disputes and minor property damage. The General Division handles larger claims from $20,000 up to $100,000. Matters above that threshold are dealt with in the District Court, which for the Coonamble district usually means Dubbo.

AVOs and domestic violence matters

Applications for Apprehended Violence Orders, including Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders, are a significant part of the workload in western New South Wales. Domestic violence related matters have been rising across the state, and now make up 27.1 per cent of all Local Court finalisations, up 12.1 per cent in the most recent reporting year. In rural local government areas such as Coonamble, Walgett and Moree Plains, domestic assault, intimidation, stalking and harassment, breaching bail conditions and malicious damage rank among the most commonly recorded offences, according to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research.

If your matter is set down for a defended hearing or a sentence that outgrows the Local Court, it will usually be transferred up the road to the District Court sitting at Dubbo. The Dubbo District Court handles committals sent from Coonamble, along with appeals against Local Court convictions and sentences. Coonamble also has its own periodic District Court venue, so check the Coonamble District Court list before assuming your appearance has moved towns.

How to check the Coonamble court list online

The official Coonamble court schedule is published through the NSW Online Registry. You can search matters listed up to three weeks ahead and up to one week in the past, which helps if you missed a date or need to confirm the next mention.

• Search by name, case number, court location, hearing date, jurisdiction, listing type or the title of the presiding officer.
• Confirm the courtroom and the listed time, since a single matter can be moved between a morning and an afternoon session.
• Check the list again on the morning of your hearing, because listings can change late, especially when a circuit day is adjusted.
• Always verify final details with the registry, as published lists are a guide and not a substitute for confirmation from court staff.

Coonamble Local Court in the wider NSW justice system

Understanding how much work moves through the state's Local Courts puts a single sitting day at Coonamble in context. The Local Court carries the overwhelming majority of the criminal caseload in New South Wales, and the numbers below come from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research.

How busy is the NSW Local Court

• NSW criminal courts finalised 151,113 defendant appearances in the year to June 2025, an increase of 7.4 per cent on the previous year.
• Local Court finalisations rose 7.7 per cent to 141,616 matters, which accounts for about 94 per cent of all criminal court finalisations in the state.
• Around 86 per cent of finalised defendants had at least one proven charge, while roughly 8 per cent of matters were withdrawn by the prosecution.
• The proportion of proven defendants receiving a custodial penalty rose from 9.1 per cent to 10.0 per cent, and the number of custodial penalties increased 16.8 per cent, from 11,157 to 13,035.
• Around 9.3 per cent of defendants were bail refused at the time their matter was finalised.
• The median time to finalise a defended hearing in the Local Court was 263 days, which shows how far ahead a contested matter can be listed.

Local crime and court context in Coonamble

Coonamble is a small community with a caseload that runs heavier per head of population than most of New South Wales. According to the 2021 Census, the Coonamble local government area had a population of 3,732 with a median age of 39, and the town of Coonamble itself was home to about 2,666 residents. More than one third of the local government area, some 1,267 people or close to 34 per cent, identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, which is far above the state average and shapes the profile of matters coming before the court. The median weekly household income across the local government area was $1,231. Coonamble has long appeared among the New South Wales local government areas with the highest recorded offence rates per capita, alongside neighbouring Walgett and Moree Plains, which is why access to a functioning local courthouse and a clear daily list matters so much in this district.

Legal practitioners covering the western circuit often appear at several courthouses in the same week, so if you cannot find a name on the Coonamble list, the matter may be listed elsewhere on the circuit. Neighbouring registries worth checking are the Walgett court list to the north and the Warren Local Court to the south. Both sit on similar periodic arrangements, and a matter can be adjourned from one to another when a magistrate's roster changes.

How to get to the Coonamble courthouse

Travel is a real consideration for anyone attending Coonamble Local Court, since the town is remote from the major population centres. Plan your journey with the options below.

• Driving from Sydney: allow roughly five to six hours by road, travelling north-west along the Castlereagh Highway.
• Flying: the most common route is to fly into Dubbo, then drive about 1.5 hours north to Coonamble by car or bus.
• Coach: NSW TrainLink coach services connect Coonamble with Dubbo, which links to the wider regional rail network.
• Parking: on-street parking is available near the courthouse on and around Aberford Street.

Preparing for your court date at Coonamble

• Confirm your listing on the NSW Online Registry, then arrive at least 15 to 30 minutes early to allow for security screening.
• Bring your court papers, photo identification and any documents or evidence relevant to your matter.
• Dress neatly, switch mobile phones to silent, and remove hats before entering the courtroom.
• If you do not have a lawyer, ask about the Legal Aid NSW duty solicitor service, which can assist eligible people on the day.
• Request an interpreter or accessibility assistance from the registry in advance if you need one.

Frequently asked questions

Does Coonamble Local Court sit every day?

No. Coonamble is a circuit court, so magistrates attend periodically rather than every business day. Sitting days can also change at short notice, so always confirm your date on the online court list before travelling.

How do I find out if my matter is listed at Coonamble Local Court?

Search the NSW Online Registry court lists by name, case number, date or location. Matters appear up to three weeks in advance and up to one week in the past. If you cannot find your matter, phone the registry on 1300 679 272.

What types of cases are heard at Coonamble Local Court?

The court handles summary criminal offences, traffic and drink driving matters, civil disputes up to $100,000, Apprehended Violence Order applications, bail applications, sentence hearings, defended hearings and the early committal stage of more serious charges.

How much can I claim in a civil case at Coonamble Local Court?

The Local Court hears civil claims up to $100,000. Claims up to $20,000 are dealt with in the Small Claims Division, and claims from $20,000 to $100,000 are heard in the General Division. Larger claims are handled by the District Court.

What are the Coonamble Local Court registry hours?

On open days the registry counter operates from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, and the phone line is staffed from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday. Because the court sits on a circuit, phone ahead to confirm the counter is open.

Can I appear by audio visual link?

Coonamble Local Court has Audio Visual Link facilities. Whether you can appear remotely depends on the nature of your matter and the magistrate's directions, so ask the registry or your solicitor before your hearing date.

What happens if my matter is too serious for the Local Court?

Serious indictable matters start in the Local Court through committal proceedings and are then transferred to the District Court. For the Coonamble district, District Court matters are commonly heard at Dubbo, the nearest permanent higher court location.