Front counter duty planner service will only be available between 11am-3pm on Tuesday 22 September 2026. If you need to speak to a planner before 11am please contact our Customer and Business Services Team on 6655 7300 to leave a message and a planner will return your call as soon as possible.
The Bellingen Courthouse has been an important part of the town's civic history. Since closing in 2018, the heritage-listed building has remained vacant while its condition has continued to deteriorate.
Bellingen Shire Council has consistently advocated for the restoration and activation of the Courthouse. Through the Bellingen CBD Master Plan, Community Scorecard and long-term strategic planning, the community has repeatedly identified the Courthouse as a valued heritage asset they want to see brought back into use.
Finding a viable future for the building is complex. The Courthouse is owned by the NSW Government, shares its site with the operational Bellingen Police Station, and requires significant restoration works. Any future proposal must protect its heritage significance while ensuring it is financially and operationally sustainable.
To help explore what is possible, Council has established the Bellingen Courthouse Working Group.
The Working Group has been deliberately established as a skills-based group, bringing together people with experience across heritage, culture, business, regional development, architecture and community activation. Rather than representing particular organisations or advocating for individual proposals, members have been selected for the expertise they bring to exploring viable future options. An expression of interest went out to the community in April 2026 and the following candidates have been selected:
Dean Thomas Kelly — Yurruungga Aboriginal Corporation
Olivia Parker — Arts Mid North Coast
Madeleine Lawler and Dianne Wall — Regional Development Australia Mid North Coast
Frank Perez — Bellingen Chamber of Commerce
Anthony Kelly — ADG Architects
Hayley Egan — Taranta Arts Inc
The Working Group is chaired by Bellingen Shire Council General Manager Mark Griffioen. Mayor Steve Allan participates as Council’s civic representative. Cameron Bragg from the NSW Premier’s Department participates to support communication and coordination with the NSW Government. Council provides administrative and project support to the Working Group. Other government representatives or specialist advisers may be invited to participate where their input would assist the group’s work.
Protect the heritage significance of the Courthouse.
Deliver genuine community benefit and public access.
Identify financially and operationally sustainable solutions.
Establish appropriate governance and tenure arrangements.
Avoid creating an unfunded liability for Council and local ratepayers.
assessing the building's condition and restoration requirements
working with the NSW Government and stakeholders on property, tenure and access arrangements
identifying government, philanthropic and private funding opportunities
exploring sustainable community, cultural, tourism and commercial activation models
investigating opportunities for First Nations participation and youth involvement
learning from successful courthouse restoration projects elsewhere in NSW.
During the first meeting members:
inspected the Courthouse precinct
reviewed the building's history, ownership and heritage significance
discussed the current condition of the building
considered previous feasibility studies
confirmed the role and Terms of Reference for the Working Group
identified priority work required before future options can be assessed.
The group agreed that before considering future uses, it first needs a clearer understanding of the building's condition, restoration requirements and potential funding opportunities.
The NSW Government has also completed clean-up works around the Courthouse site, improving the presentation of the precinct while longer-term planning continues.
Expressions of Interest to join the Bellingen Courthouse Working Group closed in May 2026, with applications helping to inform the final membership of the skills-based advisory group. The Working Group has been established to explore realistic pathways for restoring and activating the heritage-listed Bellingen Courthouse. Its role is to investigate potential funding opportunities, governance arrangements and sustainable future uses for the building.
The group brings together specialist expertise across heritage, arts and culture, architecture, business, regional development and First Nations knowledge to help assess what is genuinely achievable. The Working Group is advisory only. It does not make decisions on behalf of Council, commit Council to funding or ownership, or determine the future use of the Courthouse.
Council thanks everyone who expressed interest in being part of the Working Group. While not all applicants could be appointed, the strong response highlighted the community's passion for seeing the Bellingen Courthouse restored and brought back into use.
The Working Group has been established to explore viable pathways for restoring and activating the Bellingen Courthouse.
Its role is to investigate what is realistically achievable by examining the building's condition, funding opportunities, governance arrangements and potential future uses. The group will provide advice to Council based on evidence and practical experience.
The Working Group is exploring a range of possible options for the Courthouse's future, including community, cultural, tourism, creative industry and mixed-use opportunities.
At this stage, there is no preferred option or predetermined outcome. The group's first priority is to better understand the building's condition and what would be required to restore and operate it sustainably.
The Bellingen Courthouse is owned by the NSW Government.
The building shares its property title with the operational Bellingen Police Station, which means any future proposal will require ongoing collaboration with the NSW Government on matters such as ownership, access, tenure and funding.
The Courthouse closed in 2018 and has remained vacant while a range of complex issues have been considered.
These include the building's heritage status, deterioration over time, restoration costs, ownership arrangements, ongoing operating expenses and identifying a financially sustainable model for its future use.
Council supports the restoration and activation of the Bellingen Courthouse and will continue to advocate for a long-term solution in partnership with the NSW Government and other stakeholders.
However, Council has not agreed to take ownership of the building under the arrangements considered to date. Any future proposal must protect the building's heritage significance, provide genuine community benefit and avoid creating an unfunded capital, maintenance or operating liability for Council and local ratepayers.
Yes.
The Working Group's current focus is on understanding the opportunities and constraints associated with the building. As realistic options are developed, Council will consider how the community can provide input to help inform future decisions.