‘Commercial in confidence’: LNP questions progress on Cairns youth detention centre
The LNP has hinted the state government is “hiding the details” behind its Cairns youth detention centre with Youth Justice Minister Di Farmer still yet to reveal a preferred location for the facility set to open in 2027.
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The LNP has hinted the state government is “hiding the details” behind its Cairns youth detention centre with Youth Justice Minister Di Farmer still yet to reveal a preferred location for the facility set to open in 2027.
But Ms Farmer has rejected the Coalition’s claims, arguing the 40-bed centre is subject to ongoing negotiations with information regarding its location, cost and construction “commercial in confidence”.
Multiple sites between Edmonton and Gordonvale have been flagged as potential destinations for the institution but little information has been revealed to the public, Shadow Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber said.
“Labor is using the cover of commercial-in-confidence to hide the detail of this project and any funding associated with it from the Cairns community,” Ms Gerber said.
“I guess there is another possibility: maybe they are hiding the details because they have not done the work to get this project up and running on time.
“The LNP believes in consequences for actions, but we are also committed to making detention matter.
“Without facilities that provide the necessary services to young people to rehabilitate them and to get them back on the right track, we will continue to see crime spiral out of control.”
Negotiations still hadn’t progressed far enough with a site still yet to be determined for the Cairns centre, Ms Farmer said.
“The project is still subject to commercial negotiations and therefore this requires figures to be commercial in confidence,” she said.
“Procurement for a managing contractor will commence after a preferred site has been chosen.
“The proposed new centre near Cairns will be designed to enable better delivery of programs proven to reduce reoffending rates of young people.
“This will help to reduce the number of offenders and lead to fewer victims of crime.”
Ms Gerber said Labor was stalling discussions around the construction of the centre ahead of the October state elections.
“What this really means is that it is not ready to answer the question of where the Cairns detention centre will go,” she said.
“The Miles Labor government is more worried about the upcoming election than being honest with the people of Cairns about where it is going to put the detention centre.”
New centres in Woodford and near Cairns will add 120 beds, bringing the state’s youth detention capacity to 426, an 85 per cent increase since 2015.
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