Caloundra youth jail plans: Jason Hunt says ‘not the right fit’ for area
Five months after saying the Caloundra Watchhouse was the “ideal” location for a youth remand centre, local MP Jason Hunt is speaking out against the controversial project.
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Caloundra MP Jason Hunt has spoken out against plans for a youth remand centre while speculation mounts the government has already abandoned the project.
Five months after saying the Caloundra Watchhouse was the “ideal” location for a youth remand centre, the first-term politician is now calling on the government not to go ahead with it.
In July Mr Hunt said young people would stay at the Caloundra facility while Queensland‘s three other youth remand centres were full.
He said its “secure” location between the court house and the police station made it “ideal” from a community safety point of view.
But following community consultation Mr Hunt wrote to youth justice Minister Leanne Linard on Wednesday and said that it was clear many residents did not support the watchhouse being redeveloped into a youth remand centre.
The former Woodford Correctional Centre custodial officer said he wanted to be a strong advocate and champion for the Caloundra community.
“Having spent 20 years as a corrective services officer, I know first hand how important it is to balance the safety of our community with the need to provide meaningful rehabilitation for youth offenders and the current proposal isn’t the right fit for our community,” he said.
In July Mr Hunt said the watch house was the “ideal location” for a youth remand centre.
Kawana MP Jarrod Bleijie said Mr Hunt spent seven months promoting the youth jail and telling residents it was needed for community safety.
“Early on he said the community were telling him they supported the youth jail,” Mr Bleijie said.
“Now he has done an about face which I welcome.”
Mr Bleijie said he had been told recently that the government was not going to go ahead with the project.
“It is clear now that the government will abandon its plans for now for a youth jail on the Sunshine Coast and Jason will try and claim credit for it,” Mr Bleijie said.
“(But) the credit is due to the over 6000 Sunshine Coast residents that signed the petition against the youth jail.”
According to a builder who was working onsite, the facility could not be used as a watchhouse again because so much had already been demolished.
However the government claims only minor essential works are being completed including on fire and security systems.
More than $5m has been allocated in this year’s budget for the remand centre and the project would cost up to $16.4m in total.
There were 753 submissions made during the government’s community consultation and 6000 people signed Mr Bleijie’s petition against it.
Documents detailing the government’s proposal said it would be a 24-hour remand facility for 10-15 youths.
It was proposed as an overflow facility for when Queensland’s three other remand centres were at or near capacity.
Mr Hunt has been approached for comment but is yet to respond.
Ms Linard said no decision had been made yet on the project but she would give “serious consideration” to Mr Hunt’s letter.
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