No guarantees on Far North youth detention centre’s location, MP says

A Far North MP says a proposed youth detention centre on Cairns’ southside must avoid high density areas with the facility “not guaranteed” to be based between Edmonton and Gordonvale.

Member for Mulgrave Curtis Pitt says a site for the Cairns Youth Detention has yet to be determined. Picture: Brendan Radke

A Far North MP says a proposed youth detention centre on Cairns’ southside must avoid high density areas with the facility “not guaranteed” to be based between Edmonton and Gordonvale as previously suggested.

A dollar figure for the contentious 40-bed centre set to open in 2027 was left out of the Queensland budget earlier this month despite money being set aside for the project with community leaders calling for more consultation.

But Member for Mulgrave Curtis Pitt moved to quell concerns on Tuesday, declaring that while he supported the construction of a new facility, suburban areas must be avoided.

“Clearly there’s a need to have additional capacity and that’s why the idea of a youth detention centre has been mooted for the Far North Queensland region,” Mr Pitt said.

“So from my perspective, I’m listening to what the community is asking and making sure that it’s not going to be somewhere which is slap-bang in the middle of an urban environment.

“I think that’s absolutely critical.”

A 40-bed youth detention centre in Far North Queensland is set to open in 2027.

The former Treasurer said he was receiving updates from Youth Justice Minister Di Farmer on the project, a location was yet to be determined.

“It’s up to experts to decide where they think it’ll be best placed in terms of the therapeutic values that will go along with the centre,” Mr Pitt said.

Mr Pitt added the centre may not even be located in his electorate.

“It’s not guaranteed at all,” he said. “We don’t know where it’s going to be.

“There are a lot of rumours around where it may be but ultimately it’s important that the process (to determine an appropriate site) is undertaken.

“To be honest, if it comes out in the wash that it’s something that doesn’t happen, there’ll be a lot of people with egg on their faces.”

Several potential sites between Edmonton and Gordonvale have been under consideration in recent months.

Nearby residents were entitled to know more about where youth criminals will reside, Division One councillor Brett Moller said recently.

“What the concern has been in the Edmonton to Gordonvale area is that there has been no consultation provided to the community,” Mr Moller said.

Division 1 councillor Brett Moller says a lack of consultation has fuelled rumours and suspicion regarding the construction of the youth detention centre. Picture: Isaac McCarthy

New centres in Woodford, in southeast Queensland, and near Cairns will add 120 beds, bringing the state’s youth detention capacity to 426, an 85 per cent increase since 2015.

Originally published as No guarantees on Far North youth detention centre’s location, MP says