Queensland Police explains use of Caloundra Watchhouse amid remand centre plans

The Caloundra Watchhouse has only been used overnight on three occasions since it was built 16 years ago, police have revealed.

Ninderry MP Dan Purdie is backing a petition against the State Government's plans to turn the Caloundra Watchhouse into a short term youth remand centre.

Police have revealed how Caloundra Watchhouse is used after the State Government claimed the facility staffed five days a week was “decommissioned and unused”.

Plans to turn the watchhouse into a remand centre for youth offenders have been slammed by politicians and some community groups due to a lack of community consultation.

More than $16m is set to be spent over five years on the project.

However, residents were only made aware of it earlier this month.

A Queensland Police Service spokesman said the Caloundra Watchhouse was commissioned as a police watchhouse in 2005.

Its operating capability is limited with the Maroochydore Watchhouse being the primary facility for the district.

The spokesman said an officer staffed it from Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm.

This is in contrast to a statement provided by the Youth Justice Department on July 2 that said the facility was “decommissioned and currently unused”.

The police spokesman said the watchhouse received and processed arrests and detentions as required by police officers and other government agencies.

“Its primary role has been for short-term transitional custody management of prisoners associated with the attached Caloundra Magistrates Court,” the spokesman said.

“It receives corrections prisoners for court appearances and temporarily receives prisoners sentenced at court.”

Caloundra MP Jason Hunt said Mr Hunt said the youth remand centre would be used for short periods of time when other detention centres were at capacity.

Earlier this month Caloundra MP Jason Hunt said the watchhouse was used as a “stand up/stand down” facility for adult offenders when others were at capacity.

“So in that sense nothing has changed other than the potential ages of the people being detained,” Mr Hunt said.

But prisoners have only been kept overnight on three occasions in 16 years.

The police spokesman said that was when Maroochydore Watchhouse had undergone significant repairs.

“The Caloundra Watchhouse has never been used as a remand centre,” the spokesman said.

Ninderry MP Dan Purdie criticised the government’s plans and said a watchhouse and youth remand centre were completely different.

He said the centre could hold some of the southeast’s most recidivist offenders while they awaited trial.

“There has been zero consultation and residents have a right to feel they’ve been misled,” Mr Purdie said.