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Liberals promise new 1300 bed prison in Lara near Geelong

A NEW 1300-bed prison is on the cards for Melbourne’s southwest, if the Liberals win the state election. The prison will help soaring prison numbers and clear police station cells in Victoria.

VICTORIA’S Liberal Opposition has promised to build a new 1300-bed prison on Melbourne’s southwestern fringes to house soaring prison numbers and clear police station cells of offenders on remand.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy travelled to the safe Labor seat of Lara near Geelong to announce a plan to double the capacity of a proposed prison, with the help of a public-private partnership.

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Victorian Opposition leader Matthew Guy with shadow police minister Ed O'Donohue outside Lara prison on the campaign trail west of Melbourne. Picture : David Geraghty / The Australian.
Victorian Opposition leader Matthew Guy with shadow police minister Ed O'Donohue outside Lara prison on the campaign trail west of Melbourne. Picture : David Geraghty / The Australian.

Standing alongside police spokesman Edward O’Donohue, Mr Guy said the Coalition was confident it could build the 1300 bed facility at the price Labor quoted for a prison of half the size.

“We will reallocate Labor’s $689.5 million proposal for a 700 bed prison to a PPP build for a 1300 bed prison,” Mr Guy said.

The new prison to be built alongside the existing Lara prison precinct would also include 300 remand beds, 700 maximum security beds and 300 medium security beds.

The precinct would also include a fully functioning magistrates court as well as drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities, to take pressure off existing facilities which are oversubscribed at Ravenhall.

Mr O’Donohue described the pledge as “more than a prison” but an integrated facility that would also take the pressure off police stations which were overcrowded with prisoners on remand.

“This is about reconfiguring the prison system to put more police back on the front line,” he said.

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sam.hutchinson@news.com.au

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/state-election/liberals-promise-new-1300-bed-prison-in-lara-near-geelong/news-story/c0edb66b9548d7c92be4a663d5bad89b