Mr Speakman, in Bathurst as part of Cabinet’s regional tour, said he anticipates the move will see an increase in District Court sittings across the region, reducing backlogs in the court system and delivering faster justice.

The District Court this year sat collectively for 34 weeks across Bathurst, Orange and Parkes.

Mr Speakman said the Central West’s judge will be one of seven new faces appointed to the District Court bench.

“The District Court will soon have a record-high 75 permanent judges, which will help ease the pressure in regional areas such as the Central West that have significant caseloads,” Mr Speakman said.

There are currently around 40 District Court trials pending in Orange, Bathurst and Parkes, with some of these matters taking up to two years to be heard.

Mr Speakman said the government’s package will provide a range of other resources to assist the District Court, including additional Crown Prosecutors and Witness Assistance Officers, Legal Aid NSW lawyers, court staff, Sheriff’s Officers and security upgrades.

He said despite crime trends falling in the past five years, the District Court’s caseload has increased by around 30 per cent.

“While crime has been generally falling or stable across NSW, the number of people being charged with serious offences has risen as a result of increasing police numbers and better crime-fighting technology,” Mr Speakman said.

“The flow on effect of more crimes being solved is additional work for our courts, which is an issue we are addressing through extra resources, innovative case management and law reform.”

The new full-time judge for Orange, Bathurst and Parkes will be sworn in next year and will gain judicial experience in Sydney before moving to the Central West in 2020.

MP Paul Toole said it was the first time in history a District Court judge will live and work in our region.

“This is a big win for the community, with cases expected to be finalised sooner – reducing stress for victims and witnesses.”