Sale of Long Bay Correctional Centre and prime real estate is on the State Government’s agenda

A NEW suburb could be built on the seaside land where Long Bay jail now stands — and the government is set to reap a $400m windfall from the redevelopment.

Corrective Services Minister David Elliott said Long Bay jail will not be sold off until a new facility has been built. Picture: Tim Hunter.

WITH the sale of Long Bay Correctional Facility and redevelopment of the site ‒ estimated to be worth $400 million ‒ firmly on the State Government’s agenda, the Courier is leading a campaign for the cash to be spent in the southeast.

The 32ha prime seafront land could be turned into a new suburb and potentially kickstart development further down the peninsula.

But as a trade-off for selling the jail site, the Courier is calling on the State Government to pledge that all the cash is spent on public transport, roads, schools and upgrades needed to cope with population growth.

A guard tower in Long Bay.

Chris Johnson, chief executive of the Urban Taskforce, said he believed the light rail project could be extended down Anzac Pde to La Perouse and envisaged mixed density development including six storey apartment blocks along the route.

“It is a great opportunity to get a lot of new housing and mixed use development on that site,” he said. “That whole peninsula right out from Randwick to La Perouse is a fabulous underdeveloped part of Sydney. If we can extend the light rail all along there, it will open up the potential for other new bits of development.”

Mr Johnson said it could take five to 10 years before a new jail was built and the Long Bay site sold off but envisaged the area more urban and cosmopolitan with six storey buildings alongside the extended light rail.

“We need more work closer to where people live,” he said. “This is a fabulous area for work. You have the airport, the port and the city nearby.”

Mr Johnson said parts of the jail were heritage listed but added: “I would urge people not to be too precious about heritage that links to a fairly negative past.”

Long Bay Correctional Centre recently marked 100 years since it opened as a jail. Picture: NSW State Records

Prison cells at Long Bay in 1989. Picture: Bob Barker

Notorious criminal Arthur 'Neddy' Smith and his wife Debra on their wedding day inside Long Bay Jail.

Last week Corrective Services Minister David Elliott dumped plans to temporarily reopen Parramatta Jail and said three sites had been identified in Sydney’s southwest, to build a new super prison housing 5000 inmates.

“Long Bay is a prime bit of real estate with close access to the eastern beaches, airport and the city,” he said.

“I’ve long held the view that prisoners should not have the enjoyment of a seaside setting.”

Mr Elliott said Long Bay jail, which houses 1200 prisoners at the Anzac Pde site, would not be closed until a new facility had been built.

Eamon Waterford, head of strategy for the Committee For Sydney, said he would like Long Bay to be turned into a mixed use space including a “jobs hub” that tied into the university precinct to help graduates into work, affordable housing, social infrastructure including new schools and an extension of the light rail project.

“It is an amazing location, a very large space on a major road,” he said. “This is a real opportunity about what we want for the area, not just in terms of housing but also in terms of jobs.”

Aerial from Google earth of Long Bay jail.

Sunday Telegraph 75th Anniversary pictures. (January 8, 1981 file picture) — Maximum security prisoners in Sydney's Long Bay Jail playing cards. Sunday Telegraph exclusive first look inside the maximum secutiry facility. Photo: Peter Muhlbock

Randwick councillor Murray Matson said: “Any redevelopment of that site for residential use will have to come with fairly extensive community consultation process.” He said a Local Environment Plan would need to be developed and he would like to see the site turned into something “really awe-inspiring”.

A spokesman for UrbanGrowth NSW, a State Government agency, said it currently had “no defined role in the transformation of the Anzac Parade corridor or Long Bay Gaol”.

NSW Premier Mike Baird said: “While no final decision has been made on replacing Long Bay jail or the future use of the site, the government has an excellent track record of providing the infrastructure that is needed to meet growth in Sydney and elsewhere.”

One of the blocks within Long Bay

Senior Assistant Superintendent Joseph David supervises Block 4