Caloundra youth jail discussions held over past 12 months reveals Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll

Kawana MP Jarrod Bleijie has slammed what he says was “secret planning” for the Caloundra youth jail which he says is now a done deal.

Plans to turn the Caloundra watchhouse into a youth jail had been in the pipeline for about a year before the controversial proposal came to light recently.

The revelations came during parliamentary budget estimates hearings in Brisbane on August 12.

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said “officer-level consideration” of use of the Caloundra watchhouse had been ongoing for about 12 months before police were “specifically notified by Youth Justice on June 17”.

She said a formal approach had been made to the Queensland Police Service on April 27, 2021, following the officer-level conversations and a site visit took place on May 19, 2021.

Ms Carroll’s answers were provided in response to questions fired off by Kawana MP Jarrod Bleijie during a fiery session in state parliament.

Mr Bleijie also questioned Police Minister Mark Ryan directly on whether he supported the closure of the Caloundra watchhouse in place of a youth remand centre.

Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll. Picture: Liam Kidston.

He also questioned whether it was Labor policy not to have youths in watchhouses.

Mr Ryan said it was normal practice for young people to be held in watchhouses for brief periods for general processing following their arrest.

“They get arrested, they go to the watch house pending their first court appearance,” Mr Ryan said.

“If the court chooses to remand them in custody they go back to the watch house pending transfer to a detention centre. That is what always happens.

“You get arrested, go to the watch house, go to court.

“If you are remanded, you go back to the watch house and then you are transferred to the detention centre.

“For the member to say that the Caloundra watchhouse has not been a place of detention for young people is incorrect. That would have happened from time to time.”

Mr Bleijie said the estimates hearing had revealed the state government had been “secretly planning” the change for more than 12 months.

Ninderry MP Dan Purdie and Kawana MP Jarrod Bleijie backed a petition against the state government's plans to turn the Caloundra Watchhouse into a short term youth remand centre.

He criticised the state government for not informing Caloundra residents before the recent state election.

“The new Labor Member for Caloundra and the Labor Government have said consultation is now taking place,” Mr Bleijie said.

“This is lip service as the watchhouse signs have already been taken down.”

A community consultation process was underway about the change to the facility which could be open as early as Christmas.

It was understood staff had been ordered out of the watchhouse recently

Youth Justice Minister Leanne Linard recently said the facility would only be used for short periods.

However she wouldn’t pre-empt consultation outcomes when asked if the plan to repurpose the watchhouse would be scrapped if the community strongly opposed it.

The state government this week announced 10 new police officers would be deployed to Caloundra over the next two financial years and Caloundra MP Jason Hunt took to social media to reveal the new Caloundra South police station would be built by mid-2024.

Originally published as Caloundra youth jail discussions held over past 12 months reveals Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll