The Dubbo MP said it was his hope living locally would help magistrates hand down sentences which reflected the impact offences had on the community.

He welcomed a decision by the state’s chief magistrate Judge Graeme Henson to end arrangements relying on Sydney-based magistrates flying in and out to service five western NSW local courts.

Instead the extra recruits based at Dubbo would preside at Bourke, Brewarrina, Lightning Ridge, Narromine and Walgett, and allow increased sittings at Dubbo Local Court.

Mr Grant said the historic move would give magistrates better insight into the impact of offences and enable faster access to justice.

He anticipated taxpayers would welcome the “common-sense decision” by chief magistrate.

Mr Grant said fly-in, fly-out magistrates could hand down sentences that “often” did not “hit the mark”.

“The fact [locally-based magistrates are] more in tune, they will be reading the local newspapers, they’ll be shopping in the local shopping centres, they’ll be participating within the community through service groups,” he said.

“They’ll get a better feel and understanding about how crime impacts on the community and hopefully their sentences, obviously in accordance with the facts and each individual case as it is, are better reflected than they potentially currently are.”

Mr Grant, a former police officer, reported some offenders moved from one western court to another, “looking for the best deal from the new fly-in, fly-out magistrate”.

“So I think that will minimise that, they’ll be seeing the magistrates themselves more face- to-face, get a bit of a consistent approach,” he said.

Mr Grant said the decision was all credit to the chief magistrate.

“To understand that Dubbo now is the capital of western NSW, it’s a significant service centre and it’s obviously home to a large court precinct, but also there’s a lot of outreach and connectivity to the other courts in the western region to Dubbo,” he said.

Dubbo Local Court would continue to sit full time and on four days of the month it would have two magistrates presiding, Mr Grant said.

Magistrates deployed to western NSW courts have had to catch a plane to Dubbo on Sundays and then drive long distances to the town where they were sitting, he said.

“The process has become increasingly inefficient and taxing on magistrates as direct flights from Sydney to Bourke and Walgett are no longer available,” he said.

“The chief magistrate. . . has made a common-sense decision and the reduction in magistrates’ travel and accommodation expenses will no doubt be welcomed by taxpayers.”