The Oamaru stone courthouse, built in 1883, closed suddenly on Wednesday for up to a year, after an engineering report found it at high risk from earthquakes and needing remedial work.
Hearings, including Disputes Tribunal, Criminal and Family courts, would be held in Timaru.
However, Waitaki Mayor Alex Familton, Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean, Oamaru lawyers and others associated with the court believe an alternative venue should be found for hearings to stay in Oamaru.
Mr Familton and Mrs Dean will work together to put up options and venues to the Ministry of Courts. Mrs Dean said it was unacceptable for court staff, lawyers and people in the community to have to travel to Timaru - an hour away.
"Access to justice" had to be maintained, she said.
She had been in contact with the ministry, which indicated it would be receptive to proposals for other venues. It would provide criteria for alternatives to be found.
The Ministry of Justice, when contacted yesterday, said it would meet lawyers and others associated with the Oamaru court to discuss their concerns and options.
While some hearings might be able to be accommodated in Oamaru, it could be difficult with others, such as criminal courts, because standards, such as security, had to be met, a spokesman said.
Three full-time equivalent Oamaru court staff would be talked to individually to discuss how the closure would affect them.
Otago District Law Society North Otago representative David Rusbatch said the closure had "come as a surprise".
The ministry would meet Oamaru lawyers and, until that happened, it was not known what the long-term implications or, by working together, the solutions were.
He believed court, in the short term, would have to be held outside Oamaru, but an appropriate venue could be found for sittings to resume next year.
Having sittings in Timaru would create problems for those involved, including extra travel and costs for clients.
Mr Familton would work towards having all court activity at another venue in Oamaru.
"Local access in a fair and reasonable manner to the justice system is imperative," he said.
Oamaru lawyer Michael de Buyzer, who has appeared in the Oamaru court for about 25 years, also believed an alternative venue should be found.
Transferring court proceedings to Timaru would "cause incredible disruption and inconvenience to the whole community, affecting a number of people".
Some might appear three, four or more times before their case was dealt with.
"I'm amazed there hasn't been a well-thought-out contingency plan for a different venue here in Oamaru while strengthening work is carried out," he said.
Project Turnaround co-ordinator Derek Beveridge said his organisation would have to be represented in Timaru to cater for clients referred to it by the courts.
"Wherever the court is sitting in relation to our clients, we will have to be," he said.
For ease of operation, somewhere in Oamaru would be preferable.
He was also concerned about the difficulty and cost in people getting to court sittings in Timaru and what effect that would have on attendance - "some people will just not be able to get there".
