Clutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan, police, lawyers and support agencies say court services are vital to Balclutha and are fighting keep them in the town.
Many in the community fear court hearings would be permanently shifted from the South Otago town.
Mr Cadogan said the logistics issues and costs involved with hearings in Gore were increasing and the community needed to get in behind the Balclutha court.
He was working with district development manager Jill Borland, Balclutha police and lawyers Tina Williams, Noel O'Malley and Carmen Gillet to find an alternative venue in Balclutha for court hearings.
Ms Williams said the court sittings in Gore and potential closure of the Balclutha courthouse for up to a year disadvantaged people who did not have a voice.
"There's no public transport and there is a significant distance to travel. That's extra time off work, and it's more difficult to find and organise child care."
Ms Williams said many agencies were hit by the temporary loss of the courthouse.
"Not having court services in Balclutha will affect those who work here. What we do have now, we should hang on to."
Balclutha-based registrars had a much bigger role than people realised, and were important to the community, she said.
Noel O'Malley, who has practised as a lawyer in Balclutha for 36 years, said every sector had been disadvantaged by loss of hearings. Employers, lawyers, victims, witnesses, court staff, police and Corrections were affected, along with families and those needing the Disputes Tribunal.
Mr O'Malley said an alternative building would not have to be "perfect", as it would be a temporary fix while the courthouse was earthquake-strengthened.
He believed Balclutha had at least two feasible alternative sites.
A Women's Refuge spokeswoman said holding Balclutha court sittings in Gore was hard on support services and victims due to the increased travel required.
"It's unfair to have victims travelling long distances - and especially hard for those who have to leave children behind." Detective Sergeant Kate Bartlett agreed the extra travelling was particularly hard on victims.
"We need to keep court services local." She said one man turned up at the police station before 8am looking for a way to get to Gore in time for a court appearance - he had no car and no way of getting there.
Mr Cadogan said he had been in contact with Ministry of Justice staff and hoped to present them with information about at least two buildings which could become temporary courthouses.
The group wants the public to write letters to the Ministry of Justice supporting Balclutha's court services.
