VIC Korumburra Magistrates Court List Today

Korumburra Magistrates' Court is a regional venue of the Magistrates' Court of Victoria that serves the South Gippsland community and its surrounding rural districts. Located at 22 Bridge Street, Korumburra VIC 3950, the court hears summary criminal matters, family violence intervention order applications and a range of civil disputes for people living across the shire. If you have received a notice to attend, want to check when a matter is being heard, or simply need to understand how the local court operates, this page brings together the practical details and verified information you need before your court date.

The town of Korumburra sits roughly 120 kilometres south-east of Melbourne along the South Gippsland Highway and had a usual resident population of 4,749 at the 2021 Census, making it the second most populous town in the South Gippsland Shire after Leongatha. The wider shire recorded a population of close to 30,000 people spread across an area of about 3,296 square kilometres, which means the local court plays an important role in delivering accessible justice to a largely rural and agricultural catchment where the nearest larger court venues are a considerable drive away.

Where the Korumburra Court Sits and How It Operates

The court building is on Bridge Street in the centre of Korumburra, and there is no dedicated on-site car park, so visitors rely on street parking in the surrounding area. The court is attended by a registrar each Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, excluding public holidays and scheduled non-sitting days. Because it is a smaller regional venue rather than a headquarter court, the registry is not staffed every business day, so anyone planning to attend in person should confirm sitting arrangements in advance.

Court users can reach registry staff by phoning (03) 9087 6118 and selecting option 0 followed by option 1, or by emailing korumburracoordinator@courts.vic.gov.au. Sitting hours generally run from 9:00am to 4:30pm, with the court typically closed between 1:00pm and 2:00pm for lunch. As with all Magistrates' Court venues in Victoria, staff at the registry can help with process and procedure but are not permitted to give legal advice, so it is wise to arrange representation or duty lawyer assistance before your hearing where possible.

What Types of Cases Are Heard

The Magistrates' Court is the entry point for the overwhelming majority of legal matters in the state. According to the Magistrates' Court of Victoria, more than 93 per cent of all criminal and civil cases in Victoria begin and end in this jurisdiction, which is why local venues like Korumburra handle such a broad workload relative to their size. The matters commonly listed at Korumburra include:

• Summary criminal offences and less serious indictable offences heard summarily, such as driving offences, theft, minor assaults and public order matters.
• Committal proceedings, where more serious charges are assessed before being sent to a higher court.
• Family violence intervention order and personal safety intervention order applications.
• Civil disputes and claims, with the Magistrates' Court able to hear civil complaints up to a monetary value of $100,000.
• Bail applications, adjournments and mention hearings that move a matter through the system.

To understand how a local venue like this fits into the broader state system, it can help to review the full network of sitting locations on the Victoria court list hub, which sets out how metropolitan and regional courts connect across the state.

Statistics That Put the Local Court in Context

Volume in the Magistrates' Court jurisdiction is significant. The Sentencing Advisory Council reported that the Magistrates' Court of Victoria sentenced 85,462 cases in 2023 to 2024, a decrease of 8.9 per cent from 93,778 cases the year before. Over the two decades from July 2004 to June 2024, the court sentenced an average of 83,587 cases each year, with the single highest annual figure being 99,723 cases recorded in 2015 to 2016. These numbers illustrate the sheer scale of summary justice in Victoria and why efficient local venues matter.

National data reinforces the picture. The Australian Bureau of Statistics found that 94 per cent of all criminal defendants finalised in Victoria were dealt with in the Magistrates' Courts, and that traffic and vehicle regulatory offences alone accounted for around 38 per cent of principal offences. For a rural catchment such as South Gippsland, where driving is essential for daily life and public transport is limited, traffic and licence related matters are among the most frequently listed items on any given sitting day.

The court system also sets itself measurable service targets. The Magistrates' Court of Victoria aims to finalise 85 per cent of criminal cases within six months, and it reports against this benchmark to the State Government as part of its budget accountability. Court locations across the state are grouped into 13 administrative regions, each built around a headquarter court supported by satellite venues, and Korumburra operates as one of these smaller regional sitting points within the Gippsland grouping.

A Brief History of the Venue and Its Region

Korumburra grew from the late 1880s on the back of coal mining, an industry that sustained the town until the early 1960s, and it was the most populous settlement in South Gippsland up until 1966. That long history of local governance, dating back to the former Shire of Korumburra established in 1891, is part of why the town retains its own court venue today rather than requiring every resident to travel to a larger regional centre. Forecasts prepared for the South Gippsland Shire project the town's population to rise to around 6,563 by 2036, which suggests steady ongoing demand for accessible local justice services.

Preparing for Your Day at Court

Turning up prepared makes a real difference to how smoothly your matter proceeds. Whether you are attending as a defendant, a witness, an applicant in an intervention order matter or a support person, a little planning reduces stress on the day. Consider the following before you attend:

• Confirm the sitting day and the courtroom for your matter, and arrive early to clear the security screening and locate the right room.
• Check your daily listing so you know your case number and the order in which matters are being called.
• Bring any documents, correspondence or evidence relevant to your matter, organised and ready to hand up if required.
• Dress neatly and plan to switch off mobile phones inside the courtroom.
• Speak to the duty lawyer where one is available, or arrange your own legal representation in advance for anything serious.

Because Korumburra is a smaller regional venue, some categories of matter may be transferred to or coordinated through larger courts in the region. Residents dealing with matters in nearby districts sometimes find their listings referenced alongside neighbouring venues such as the Wonthaggi Magistrates' Court or the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court at Morwell, so it is worth confirming exactly where your matter is listed before travelling.

Checking the Daily Court List

The most common reason people search for this court online is to find out when and where a specific matter is being heard. Daily lists identify the parties, the presiding magistrate, the courtroom and the scheduled time, and they are updated ahead of each sitting day. Knowing how to read a listing helps you avoid missing your matter or waiting in the wrong location. If you regularly follow matters across multiple venues, browsing the daily Victorian Magistrates' Court list lets you track sitting arrangements across the state in one place.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Korumburra Magistrates' Court located?

The court is at 22 Bridge Street, Korumburra VIC 3950, in the centre of town just off the South Gippsland Highway. There is no dedicated on-site car park, so plan to use street parking nearby.

What days does the court sit?

A registrar attends each Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, excluding public holidays and listed non-sitting days. Sitting hours generally run from 9:00am to 4:30pm with a break around the middle of the day.

How do I contact the registry?

You can phone (03) 9087 6118 and select option 0 then option 1 to reach registry staff, or email korumburracoordinator@courts.vic.gov.au. Staff can assist with procedure but cannot provide legal advice.

What kinds of matters are heard here?

The venue hears summary criminal offences, committal proceedings, family violence and personal safety intervention order applications, bail applications and civil disputes up to $100,000, consistent with the general jurisdiction of the Magistrates' Court of Victoria.

Can I get legal help on the day?

Duty lawyer assistance is available through Victoria Legal Aid on many sitting days for limited same-day advice, though it is best to organise your own representation in advance for anything that could result in a conviction, a fine, a licence disqualification or other serious consequences.

What if my matter is not listed at Korumburra?

Some matters are coordinated through larger regional courts. If you cannot locate your case in the Korumburra listing, confirm with the registry whether it has been transferred to a neighbouring venue before you travel.

Understanding how Korumburra Magistrates' Court works, when it sits and what it deals with puts you in a far stronger position ahead of any hearing. With the local venue anchoring justice services for a growing South Gippsland community, keeping accurate track of sitting days and daily listings remains the single most useful thing you can do to make sure your matter runs without avoidable delay.