Arrested development: Councillor claims Cairns youth detention centre could shackle city’s expansion

The state government’s plans to build a youth detention centre on Cairns’ southside could put the clamps on massive population growth in a critical corridor for the city’s future, a Cairns councillor says.

A 40-bed youth detention centre will be running in Cairns by 2027, the state government says. Picture: iStock

The state government’s plans to build a youth detention centre on Cairns’ southside could put the clamps on massive population growth in a critical corridor for the city’s future, a Cairns councillor says.

But Police Minister Mark Ryan has fired back, arguing that surrounding communities would be kept safe, despite not being consulted on the facility’s location.

Division 2 councillor Matthew Tickner says residents must be consulted with regarding any plans to establish a detention facility in Cairns' growth corridor.

A 40-bed centre is slated to be operational by 2027 with multiple sites between Edmonton and Gordonvale currently being considered, including a cane farm at Mount Peter.

Located just 20km from the city’s CBD the outlying suburb is earmarked to house 50,000 residents within the next 30 years.

The centre failed to complement the council’s Towards 2050 growth strategy, Division 2 councillor, Matthew Tickner said.

“That growth strategy doesn’t include a detention centre,” Mr Tickner said. “We need that information fed into it.”

“The strategy is really important. There will be a lot of focus on that area, even over the next five years (for council).”

Police Minister Mark Ryan says Cairns residents will be consulted with once a site for the new youth detention facility is determined. Picture David Clark

Establishing a detention centre in the Far North would give young offenders a better chance of turning their lives around, Mr Ryan said.

“We are committed to increasing detention capacity both in the adult and youth spaces,” he said.

“There’s still work being done around the proposed site but it’s an important principle that if you can detain people closer to the community that they are from you can support their rehabilitation.”

Greater consultation with the council is required to achieve the best outcome for residents, Mr Tickner said.

“Bring us on the journey,” he said. “It’s very clear that they’re looking to put a facility in that vicinity.”

Community members should feel safe, even if a detention centre is built near their home, Mr Ryan said.

“I have every confidence in our emergency services to keep the community safe,” he said.

“I can assure the community that may be in the vicinity of any infrastructure related to community safety that at the heart of everything those workers do … is keeping the community safe.”

Originally published as Arrested development: Councillor claims Cairns youth detention centre could shackle city’s expansion