NT Government denies media requests to tour Don Dale facility before adult prisoners moved in
Territory Families Minister Ngaree Ah Kit denied having anything to hide and said her focus was on opening the new therapeutic youth justice facilities – which media were welcome to visit.
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Territory Families Minister Ngaree Ah Kit has doubled down on Labor’s insistence it never promised to bulldoze the current Don Dale youth prison, while refusing media access to tour the facility.
A tender to demolish the original Don Dale site – which has been vacant since 2014 – was released on Monday, with works expected to begin in July.
The NT News, along with other media organisations, have made several requests to see the conditions inside the current facility used as a youth detention centre after detainees are moved out later this year.
The government last week announced it would repurpose Don Dale, formerly Berrimah Prison, as a training centre for male prisoners — an interim use while future plans for the facility are developed.
To date, more than $14m has been spent on improving the Berrimah prison Don Dale, despite the decommissioned maximum-security unit being described by a former Correctional Services Commissioner as “only fit for a bulldozer”.
Ms Ah Kit denied any attempt to hide conditions in the facility from public scrutiny, saying her focus was ensuring the new, more therapeutic youth justice facilities were available for young people to move into.
Media were welcomed to tour the new facilities, which are expected to be opened in the coming months.
“I’ve made the decision that I will not support any media tours within the current Don Dale facility, it is an operational centre,” Ms Ah Kit said.
“The time frame for the new facility being opened, hopefully by myself, will be mid-year. I’m happy to consider any request (to tour Don Dale) closer to that time, but my complete focus is on opening the new facility.”
Ms Ah Kit praised the work of the Children’s Commissioner and other “official visitors” who ensure young people and staff at Don Dale are “supported as best as possible”.
“The accountability is absolutely there,” she said.
Deputy Opposition Leader Gerard Maley said a CLP government would allow media to tour the facility.
“We need to make sure that the people in there are protected, but we’re going to be an open and transparent government,” he said.
“I think a bit of common sense would be there must be something (Labor) have got to hide.”
Ms Ah Kit said repeated promises by the government to demolish Don Dale had only ever referred to the original, Tivendale Rd site.
“That was the site in the Royal Commission, in the Four Corners report,” she said.
“Our commitment was always to demolish the original Don Dale site … and that’s the commitment that we are delivering on today.”
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