A year after he was charged, Gareth Ward will formally enter pleas tomorrow to historic sexual and indecent assault charges.
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While Mr Ward has maintained his innocence throughout a police investigation and since being charged in March last year, he will formally enter pleas during an arraignment in Nowra District Court on Tuesday, March 28.
The pleas were expected to be entered next week during an arraignment in the District Court in Sydney, but in a surprise development the case was listed in Nowra's District Court today.
Mr Ward's lawyer Rob Foster told the court the matter was listed for Sydney next week, when issues including a prosecution application to change the venue and a defence application to separate the matters into two separate trials were to be discussed.
But District Court Judge Christopher O'Brien said he wanted to move things forward.
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"I'm here, there's a judge here, can't we progress the matter in some way?" he said during the callover in Nowra.
He ordered the matter to return to the court on Tuesday for an arraignment, where pleas will be formally entered.
Mr Ward is facing three charges of assault with act of indecency, and one count each of sexual intercourse without consent and common assault.
Police allege the charges related to two incidents, one where Ward allegedly indecent assaulted a 17-year-old boy at Meroo Meadow, near Bomaderry, in February 2013, and sexually abused a 27-year-old in Sydney in September 2015.
The next step in the legal battle comes as Mr Ward is in a fight for his political life.
Votes continue to be counted in the Kiama electorate, which Mr Ward has held for the past 12 years, with the result remaining too close to call.
The latest figures have Mr Ward about 500 votes ahead of Labor's Katelin McInerney on primary votes, but Ms McInerney leading the two candidate preferred by about 900 votes.
