By Clay Lucas
A federal Labor MP has sparked a battle with the state party after she said Premier Daniel Andrews' choice of Werribee South for a new youth prison was inappropriate.
It comes as hundreds of residents and farmers prepare for a meeting in Werribee on Monday night to voice their opposition to the prison plan.
Joanne Ryan replaced Julia Gillard as the MP for the ultra-safe Labor federal seat of Lalor. It covers western suburb areas including Werribee South and its 90-odd market gardens.
The Age revealed last month that the state government had chosen Werribee South as the location for the new high-security youth prison, without consulting locals.
Farmers gather on Sunday on the site of the proposed Werribee South youth prison, ahead of a major protest planned for Monday night. Credit: Luis Ascui
The government says the new $288 million facility will have six-metre-high concrete walls – which the local Wyndham Council says will be visible from the Princes Freeway.
Resident opposition is growing to the plan, with Monday's protest meeting moved from the local Encore Event Centre, which holds 1000 people, to the main street of Werribee because of numbers.
Ms Ryan said in a social media post on Sunday morning that a prison should not be located in Werribee South because it was a "gateway site" to the area.
"To those who say this is a 'not in my backyard' reaction, I say it should not be placed on our front lawn," said Ms Ryan, who declined to specify a better site for the prison.
Residents and farmers from the Werribee area opposed to the youth prison site the Andrews government has selected. Credit: Luis Ascui
Victorian Families and Children Minister Jenny Mikakos said Werribee South had been chosen for the prison after other locations were considered.
"The government is now consulting with community and [the] local council as to final design and location," she said.
Wyndham Council chief executive Kelly Grigsby and mayor Henry Barlow met Ms Mikakos on Friday to voice local opposition to the prison's location. The pair told her there was not enough of a buffer planned between the new prison and nearby farms, homes and the tourism precinct that includes Werribee Open Range Zoo and Werribee Mansion.
Helen Yankos lives on a farm neighbouring the proposed prison site. Her Greek family has run a market garden there since 1936. Everyone in the area was opposed to the plan, she said.
"We can't build an extra house on our blocks because of planning laws – and yet the government can come in and build a massive prison and not have to ask anyone," she said.
Ms Yankos said there was a school sporting field close to where the prison was to be built, plans for residential housing nearby, as well as high-profile tourist destinations.
"As you are going into that tourism precinct, it's going to be right in your view," Ms Yankos said.