Queensland Government to open 40-bed Cairns youth detention centre by 2026
Queensland youth justice minister Di Farmer has revealed the planned open date for a controversial, 40-bed “therapeutic” youth detention centre to be based Cairns.
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A youth detention centre will be open in Cairns by 2026 according to the government’s latest deadline, but an exact location is yet to be confirmed.
Queensland’s Youth Justice Minister Di Farmer spilt the new deadline in an estimates committee hearing on Thursday, where she also confirmed the planned “therapeutic” centre would contain 40 beds.
The new youth jail is expected to be opened at the same time as an 80-bed facility in Woodford, in the Moreton Bay region.
“We expect to open both of the new centres in 2026. That will mean a total of 426 beds in total in youth detention centres across the state,” Ms Farmer said.
“We have more young people in detention than any other state or territory in Australia.
“We are unapologetic about keeping the community safe, and we will detain those young people if they commit offences. They should not be a risk to the community.”
Youth justice inquiries elsewhere in Australia have stated therapeutic approaches to youth detention involved a focus on behavioural change through rehabilitation; that is, a therapeutic detention environment that promotes guidance and support over punishment.
“We do not want to see those young people return to the system, which is why the two new detention centres we have announced in Woodford and Cairns will be therapeutic centres,” Ms Farmer said.
“ … although the detention centres are there to have young offenders suffer the consequences of their offences and keep the community safe, we also want to break that cycle of youth crime. We do not want to see them back in the system again.”
On July 18 deputy premier Steven Miles said Edmonton was the preferred site for the Cairns centre; he said a decision on the final site was “imminent”.
But neither the minister nor the Youth Justice Department’s director-general, Bob Gee, confirmed Edmonton as the final location during Thursday’s estimates committee.
“The minister is … correct that we have not made a final decision. I have not given her advice around final exact locations in Cairns,” Mr Gee said.
“But I intend to do that as soon as I have more information with respect to a validation report and a few other things like that.”
Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto questioned Mr Gee about the expected capital and operating costs of the Cairns centre, and asked if it would equate to the operating expense of the Cleveland detention centre which, he said, costs $2000 per day.
Mr Gee did not outline the cost of the Cairns centre but said a therapeutic approach could increase costs “in the short term”.
“It is not just the physical space that is important; it is the services and the quality of the rehabilitation services. Frankly, that means the operating cost is likely to increase in the short term because we need more and more degree qualified clinical people in the detention centres,” he said.
“We are still in the process of developing the final operating cost.”
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Originally published as Queensland Government to open 40-bed Cairns youth detention centre by 2026
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