It will be another year before the sexual assault charges against the Member for Kiama, Gareth Ward, will be held in Sydney, with the trial set down to start Monday 8 April 2024.

Mr Ward’s barrister had applied to the court to have the charges heard separately, rather than together, given they arise from incidents in 2013 and 2015, but the judge ruled against this.

He also applied to have them heard in Nowra, rather than at the Downing Centre Court in Sydney, but this too was unsuccessful.

Mr Ward has pleaded not guilty to the charges of rape (sexual intercourse without consent), three counts of assault with an act of indecency and one count of common assault.

The alleged incidents involve a 17 year old at Meroo Meadow in 2013 and a 27 year old man in Sydney in 2015.

It is estimated the trial will take three weeks.

Mr Ward has recently been re-elected as the Member for Kiama, this time as an independent, despite the charges being laid [Labor concedes Kiama].

The NSW Premier Chris Minns has referred Mr Ward’s situation to the Privileges Committee of the Legislative Committee, to establish whether he should again be suspended from Parliament given the seriousness of the charges.