New SA prison earmarked for Gillman as future prisoner numbers spike

A significant parcel of vacant land has been revealed as the site of SA’s future new prison as modelling predicts another 800 beds will be needed by 2030.

A huge parcel of government-owned land at Gillman has been identified as the preferred site for a new prison to house the spiralling numbers of criminals in South Australia.

The Advertiser can reveal the site has been selected from a shortlist of nine locations by Correctional Services, Renewal SA and consultants preparing the business case for the new rehabilitation prison.

The planning follows modelling by Correctional Services that reveals daily demand for prisoner beds is expected to reach 4205 by 2030/31, with an average daily demand of 4042 beds – a shortfall of around 800 beds.

While Correctional Services has undertaken an aggressive program of creating infill beds at major prisons over the past decade – with another 270 to come online at Yatala Labour Prison next year – a strategic business case prepared in preparation for the full business case found future infill opportunities were now limited.

Yatala Labour Prison. Picture: AAP/Emma Brasier

Sources familiar with the document said it identified construction of a new rehabilitation prison that would provide an additional 800 beds was the most cost-effective solution.

Last week there were 3133 people being held in SA prisons – just 35 below the all-time prisoner record of 3168 in March 2018 – with the prisoner population growing by about 10 per cent annually.

Correctional Services received $500,000 funding in the 2021/22 state budget to develop the strategic business case and another $1.5m in the last budget to complete a full business case for a new rehabilitation prison.

Consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers, Renewal SA and Correctional Services examined nine sites, including at Dry Creek, Edinburgh, Penfield, Waterloo Corner, Woodside in the Adelaide Hills and at Mobilong, before deciding on Gillman as the preferred site.

The site requirement was for a 60ha prison footprint surrounded by a 100m buffer zone that was not in a residential area, within 2km of a school, under a flight path or in a Hills face zone.

In 2009 the Labor government shelved plans for a $750 million super-prison at Mobilong because of the cost, but in 2012 outgoing Correctional Services chief Peter Severin warned it was “inevitable’’ a new prison would have to be built to house SA’s rapidly growing prisoner population.

Correctional services chief executive David Brown. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Mariuz

Correctional Services chief executive officer David Brown said the full business case for the new prison would be presented to the government “in due course.’’

“DCS is currently engaged in a review process with Infrastructure SA. All major capital works projects are subject to review by this body,’’ he said.

Mr Brown said infill at existing prison sites had created 1250 new beds since 2010/11 and a further 270 beds will come online at Yatala Labour Prison next year.

Correctional Services Minister Joe Szakacs said the government had provided support to the department “to undertake a business case on examining future rehabilitation and therapeutic approaches to custody.”

“The Government is working through this long-term options planning with the department,’’ he said.