Gregson and Weight Funerals boss fears effect of new Caloundra youth jail

A prominent Caloundra funeral director fears “unruly” young offenders and their visitors will add to the pain of mourners trying to arrange services next to a new youth jail. VOTE IN OUR POLL

A prominent funeral parlour boss fears important ceremonies and arrangements could be interrupted by “unruly” young offenders locked up in a nearby youth jail.

Grieving families will be making funeral arrangements at a Caloundra business less than 200m from where a new youth remand centre is planned to lock up teenage criminals.

Gregson and Weight general manager Luke Gregson said his funeral parlour was never consulted on the state government’s plans to transform the Caloundra Watchhouse.

Questions about the location of the new facility are continuing as hundreds of people have had their say on the project and thousands signed a petition against it.

The state government is considering the 753 submissions it received during the 20-day community consultation.

But Mr Gregson said he believed it was a “done deal” with tradespeople seen regularly at the former watch-house.

Caloundra MP Jason Hunt said during parliament this month similar facilities in Queensland were also located near businesses.

He said the Helana Jones Centre, a similar size to Caloundra watch-house, was in the middle of Albion and that the Woodford Correctional Centre was 2.5km from the CBD.

Caloundra MP Jason Hunt has attempted to ease concerns about a proposed remand centre. Picture: Liam Kidston

“Nearly 1500 of the state’s most deadly high-security prisoners are also near a school, a retirement village and a residential housing complex with zero net effect,” Mr Hunt said.

Mr Gregson said he was concerned about the potential for “unruly behaviour” from youth offenders and people visiting the centre.

“We’re concerned that could negatively impact our grieving families and mourners who come here to arrange funerals,” he said.

“We’re also concerned about the security of our premises and our memorial gardens.

“We’re perplexed about why it would be in this location, right at the entry to Caloundra.”

Mr Gregson said Caloundra lacked services and facilities to help rehabilitate young offenders.

The proposal was subject to a fiery debate during parliament where Kawana MP Jarrod Bleijie called on the government to scrap the remand centre.

Mr Bleijie tabled a petition against the project with 6100 signatures – about 4300 of which were Caloundra residents.

He said the government’s rhetoric that a short-term remand centre was a similar use to a watch house was “misleading”.

“In their own documents it says they’re putting a big fence around it,” Mr Bleijie said.

“It looks like a jail, acts like a jail, it’s a jail.”

Kawana MP Jarrod Bleijie launched a petition earlier this year against plans to turn the Caloundra Watchhouse into a short-term remand centre.

Documents detailing the government’s proposal said it would be a 24-hour remand facility for 10-15 youths.

According to the document internal works would need to be completed to repurpose it into a remand centre, as well as an enclosed outdoor area and a new fence to “improve safety”.

It was proposed as an overflow facility for when Queensland’s three other remand centres were at or near capacity.

“Young people will be transferred promptly to an existing youth detention centre when a bed becomes available,” it said.

It said young people released from custody would be taken back to their local town or a youth detention centre in Wacol to be collected by their family.

It said extra capacity was needed after legislation was introduced in February, which included a presumption against bail for repeat young offenders.

Mr Hunt said repurposing the watch-house as a short-term remand centre was subject to planning approval.

He said works were being carried out on essential systems such as fire and security which were due for replacement.