NSW Batemans Bay Local Court List Today

Batemans Bay Local Court is the main judicial venue serving the Eurobodalla Shire and the wider South Coast of New South Wales. The courthouse sits at 24 Orient Street, Batemans Bay NSW 2536, roughly 280 kilometres south of Sydney along the Princes Highway and close to the mouth of the Clyde River. As a Local Court, it handles the first, and in most cases the final, stage of the great majority of legal matters in the region, covering criminal charges, traffic offences, apprehended violence orders, and civil disputes for residents of Batemans Bay, Moruya, Braidwood, Narooma, and surrounding communities.

The Local Court is the busiest tier of the New South Wales court system. Around 94 per cent of all criminal matters finalised in the state are dealt with by Local Courts rather than the District or Supreme Courts, which means a courthouse like Batemans Bay carries a heavy and steady workload across the year. Understanding how the court operates, what it hears, and how to read its daily list can save you time and reduce a good deal of the stress that comes with a looming court date.

Court location, registry and contact details

The courthouse is open Monday to Friday and shares its Orient Street setting with the local police station, a short walk from the town centre and waterfront. Registry staff manage filing, payments, and general enquiries, while an Audio Visual Link (AVL) facility allows some parties, witnesses, and people in custody to appear remotely rather than travelling to the building in person.

Key details for Batemans Bay Local Court

• Street address: 24 Orient Street, Batemans Bay NSW 2536
• Postal address: PO Box 203, Batemans Bay NSW 2536
• Telephone: (02) 4478 2400
• Fax: (02) 4478 2490
• Email: local-court-batemans-bay@justice.nsw.gov.au
• Registry hours: 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
• Days open: Monday to Friday
• Remote appearances: Audio Visual Link (AVL) available

Street parking is available near the courthouse, and Batemans Bay can be reached by regional coach services connecting Sydney, Canberra, and Melbourne along the Princes Highway. Moruya Airport, about 25 kilometres to the south, is the closest airport for anyone travelling from further afield.

A short history of Batemans Bay Court House

Justice has been administered in Batemans Bay for well over a century. The first court house opened in 1885 on Clyde Street, opposite the waterfront, but that original building was gutted by fire in 1903. A replacement was built a short distance away and opened in October 1905 on Orient Street, next to the site where the police station now stands. That 1905 building remains in use today, making it one of the older working courthouses on the South Coast and a recognisable part of the town's civic heritage.

What matters are heard at Batemans Bay Local Court

Like every Local Court in New South Wales, Batemans Bay deals mainly with summary offences, which sit at the less serious end of the criminal spectrum, along with the early stages of more serious indictable matters before they are committed to a higher court. The court's work falls into a few broad categories.

Criminal and traffic matters

The bulk of the list is made up of criminal and traffic cases. These include drink driving and drug driving, driving while disqualified or suspended, speeding and other traffic infringements that are challenged in court, common assault, larceny, drug possession, property damage, and public order offences. Matters typically move through several stages, such as a first mention, one or more adjournments, the entering of a plea, and, where the charge is contested, a defended hearing before a magistrate.

Apprehended Violence Orders (AVOs)

The court hears applications for Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders and Apprehended Personal Violence Orders, which are protective orders designed to keep a person safe from another individual. Both police-initiated and private applications are dealt with at Batemans Bay, and these matters make up a significant and growing share of the work of Local Courts across the state.

Civil disputes

Batemans Bay Local Court also has a civil jurisdiction. The Small Claims Division deals with money disputes valued up to $20,000, covering matters such as unpaid debts, consumer claims, and minor contract disagreements. The General Division handles larger civil claims up to $100,000. Disputes above that threshold are generally dealt with by the District Court.

How busy is the NSW Local Court? Key statistics

Court activity across New South Wales has been climbing steadily, and the numbers help put a single courthouse like Batemans Bay in context. According to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR), criminal courts across the state finalised 156,256 court appearances in 2025, an increase of 8.3 per cent on the previous year.

• Local Court finalisations rose 9.1 per cent, from 134,735 in 2024 to 146,977 in 2025.
• Around 94 per cent of all criminal court finalisations in New South Wales are dealt with in the Local Court.
• Roughly 86 per cent of finalised defendants had at least one charge proven, while about 8 per cent of cases were withdrawn by the prosecution.
• Domestic violence-related finalisations rose 13.3 per cent and now account for more than one in four Local Court matters.
• The median time from arrest to finalisation for defended hearings fell from 275 days in 2024 to 247 days in 2025.

Traffic and vehicle offences remain the single largest category of matters finalised with a guilty finding, ahead of offences against justice procedures and orders, and then acts intended to cause injury. For a regional courthouse serving a highway town and a busy holiday coast, traffic and driving matters are a familiar and constant feature of the weekly list.

Not every matter that starts at Batemans Bay finishes here. Serious indictable charges are committed to the District Court, and if you are appealing a Local Court conviction or sentence, that appeal is heard in the District Court as well. For this part of the South Coast, those matters are generally listed at Nowra District Court. Reportable deaths in the area are dealt with separately by the Nowra Coroners Court rather than the Local Court.

Crime trends in the Eurobodalla region

Batemans Bay is the largest town in the Eurobodalla local government area, and recorded crime data for the LGA gives a sense of the kinds of matters that reach the local list. In 2024, theft was the most commonly recorded offence category in Eurobodalla, with 614 incidents, followed by assault and related offences at 480, and stalking, harassment and threatening behaviour at 408.

• Property damage: 304 recorded incidents
• Drug use and possession: 243 recorded incidents
• Break and enter (burglary): 170 recorded incidents
• Sexual offences: 133 recorded incidents

Total recorded crime in Eurobodalla fell by around 2.9 per cent between 2023 and 2024, and no homicide offences were recorded in the LGA during 2024. Even so, the mix of theft, assault, harassment, and driving matters closely mirrors what tends to dominate the daily law list at Batemans Bay Local Court.

How to read the Batemans Bay court list

The daily law list, sometimes called the court list or daily court list, sets out the matters scheduled to be heard on a given day. Each entry generally shows the party or defendant name, the court room, and the listing time. On this page, our Batemans Bay court list covers listings up to roughly three weeks ahead and one week in the past, so you can plan for an upcoming appearance or check what was listed recently.

Names on the list are partially masked to protect privacy, and listings can change at short notice as matters are adjourned, added, or reallocated between rooms. For that reason the list is best treated as a helpful guide rather than a final record. Anyone with a matter before the court should confirm the details directly with the registry before attending, particularly the court room and start time.

What to expect when attending Batemans Bay Local Court

If you are attending for the first time, a little preparation goes a long way. The following points reflect how Local Courts in New South Wales generally operate.

• Arrive early. Aim to be at the courthouse well before your listed time, as matters are often called in an order set by the magistrate rather than strictly by the clock.
• Dress neatly and turn your phone to silent before entering the court room.
• Bring any relevant documents, and if you have a lawyer, arrange to meet them beforehand.
• Expect security screening on entry, in line with standard court procedure across the state.
• If you cannot attend in person, ask the registry in advance whether an Audio Visual Link appearance is possible for your matter.
• Free and low-cost legal help may be available through Legal Aid NSW, the Law Society of NSW solicitor referral service, or a local community legal centre.

Batemans Bay is one of several Local Courts sitting along the Eurobodalla and Bega Valley coast, so the venue you need depends on where the matter was commenced. If you are looking for a different bench, check the Moruya Local Court to the south or the Bega Local Court listings further down the coast. Confirm the correct venue on your paperwork before you travel, as nearby courts run on different sitting days.

Frequently asked questions

What is the address of Batemans Bay Local Court?

Batemans Bay Local Court is located at 24 Orient Street, Batemans Bay NSW 2536, next to the police station and a short distance from the town centre and waterfront.

What are the registry hours at Batemans Bay Local Court?

The registry is open Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and again from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. It is closed on weekends and public holidays.

What types of cases does Batemans Bay Local Court hear?

The court hears criminal and traffic matters, apprehended violence order applications, and civil disputes. The Small Claims Division deals with claims up to $20,000, and the General Division handles claims up to $100,000.

How do I find out when my matter is listed?

You can check the Batemans Bay court list on this page, which shows listings up to about three weeks ahead. Because listings can change, always confirm the date, time, and court room with the registry on (02) 4478 2400 before you attend.

Can I appear at Batemans Bay Local Court remotely?

The courthouse has Audio Visual Link (AVL) facilities, which allow some parties, witnesses, and people in custody to appear without travelling to the building. Whether AVL is available for your matter depends on the type of case, so check with the registry in advance.