As a result of the number of Justice of the Peace (JP) members increasing in the region last year, the Ballarat branch will extend their operating hours.
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Royal Victorian Association of Honorary Justices Ballarat branch chairman Harry Gibcus said in the last 17 years he has served as a JP he had never seen such an uptake in the voluntary positions.
"Last year we had about 46 justices sworn in and before last year we had about two or three and I would say in my time the amount of justices who have been sworn in would only amount to about a half dozen at the most," Mr Gibcus said.
He said it was "wonderful" to have such a rise in the number of JPs especially those from a younger demographic.
"Having younger people means that the services we provide can be assured for Ballarat well into the future," Mr Gibcus said.
He said the addition of new officers he believed would ease the burden on specialised health professionals.
"It will give doctors and pharmacists more time to attend to more urgent matters because some people do tend to go to them to get their documents signed," Mr Gibcus said.
The new hours for JPs will be from 11am to 6pm at the Ballarat Police Station. This does not include weekends or public holidays.
There will also be a new JP stationed between Coles and EB Games at the Stockland Shopping Centre in Wendouree.
The Stockland hours will be from 10am to 2pm every Tuesday only. Previously two JPs operated from 11:30am-2:30pm and 4:30pm-6pm.
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Malvika Hemanth
Malvika has a strong interest in covering stories on welfare, cost of living pressures and the arts. She works on the unceded lands of the Wadawurrung people and pays her respect to elders past, present and emerging.
Malvika has a strong interest in covering stories on welfare, cost of living pressures and the arts. She works on the unceded lands of the Wadawurrung people and pays her respect to elders past, present and emerging.
