Work on Allan government’s $750m prison expansion program grounds to a halt after mould discovery

Work on the Allan government’s $750m prison expansion program has been halted after mould was discovered in prefabricated prison units, sparking fears of major cost and time blowouts.

Work on the Allan government’s $750m prison expansion program has ground to a halt after mould was discovered in prefabricated prison units.

The Herald Sun has been told workers downed tools at Ararat’s Hopkins Correctional Centre earlier this month when the mould was discovered in the units ahead of their delivery to site.

The issue, which is now known to affect three prisons, is understood to have placed the rollout of the program at risk with fears of major cost and time blowouts.

It is understood contractors managing the $84m Ararat expansion refused delivery of the units after the mould issue was discovered.

Similar issues have been uncovered in units at the Metropolitan Remand Centre and Barwon Prison but in both cases only after the units were constructed.

Fleetwood Australia, which specialises in the manufacture and installation of prefabricated police stations and holding facilities, refused to comment on the issue.

Similar issues were uncovered in units at the Metropolitan Remand Centre. Picture: Joe Castro

Launched as part of the 2019-20 state budget the government’s Prison Infill Expansion Program was commissioned to expand capacity and upgrade existing infrastructure at five prisons.

But it has been plagued by ongoing mould issues which have left some units not fit for purpose.

A Department of Justice and Community Safety spokesperson said the department was working with contractors to investigate defects in some pre-built accommodation units.

“The pre-built accommodation units have not yet been delivered to Hopkins Correctional Centre and these will not be commissioned for use until they are safe for prisoners and staff,” she said.

Shadow Corrections minister David Southwick said the development was unacceptable.

“More than a year after the government first became aware of the dangerous mould issue that left 450 prison beds lying idle, the Allan Labor government has learned nothing and let it happen again,” he said.

“This failure is costing taxpayers millions, stalling the prison expansion program, and putting serious pressure on a system already bursting at the seams.

“In the middle of a crime crisis, we need beds not blowouts and blame-shifting.

“This is just another example of how Labor waste and mismanagement is cutting frontline services.”

Barwon Prison was also impacted. Picture: Mark Stewart.

In this year’s state budget the government committed more than $700m to increase bed and staffing numbers across the prison system.

But the opposition questioned the funding saying it would actually deliver less beds overall following the closure of the 1087-bed Port Phillip Prison.

Last year the Herald Sun revealed investigations had been launched to determine the seriousness of the defects at both the Metropolitan Remand Centre and Barwon Prison.

Prison insiders said they had left new wings in the prisons “uninhabitable” and in need of major repair that could require complete demolition.

The dangerous black mould infestation had been blamed on a delay in construction after initial concrete foundations had been poured.

However questions are now being asked about whether the mould issue began before materials were delivered to those sites.

Works at Hopkins Correctional Centre, which was opened in 2015, are expected to deliver 94 new beds, new management unit, and other refurbishments.

Originally published as Work on Allan government’s $750m prison expansion program grounds to a halt after mould discovery