Progress accelerates in complex Auckland District Court refurbishment

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 Watso...