A top judge has called for Queenstown to have its own High Court registry.
Associate Judge Rob Osborne said it was unusual for residents of a district with a significant population to have to travel so far to file proceedings.
Judge Osborne made the call in his written judgement in a case in which he was asked to determine whether the Dunedin or Invercargill registry was closer to Wanaka.
"The present application has highlighted the unusual fact that the inhabitants of towns comprising a significant population ... have to travel so far to the nearest High Court registry.''
He said the distances stemmed from the size of the South Island and spread of modest populations.
"The continued increase in the population in the Queenstown Lakes District Council area may warrant the authorities considering the gazetting of an office of the court at Queenstown.''
He said residents in other places, such as Haast, would also benefit.
"The present nearest registry of Greymouth (316km distant) would be replaced by Queenstown (206km distant).''
But the Ministry of Justice has indicated it is unlikely to act on his appeal.
The Ministry's communication services team leader Antony Paltridge said: "There are currently no plans to establish a High Court registry at the Queenstown courthouse.''
The High Court does sit in Queenstown from time to time.
