Government launches plan for $340 million northern prison

THE Tasmanian Government will look for a site that is close to court facilities and transport for its proposed northern Tasmanian prison, Corrections Minister Elise Archer says.

Justice Minister Elise Archer and Premier Will Hodgman speaking about plans for a prison based in the North of the state. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

THE Tasmanian Government will look for a site that is close to court facilities and transport for its proposed northern Tasmanian prison, Corrections Minister Elise Archer says.

The Government announced on Sunday that it would spend $340 million to build new prison facilities in the state’s north and south if re-elected.

MORE: GOVERNMENT VOWS TO BUILD NORTHERN PRISON

The pledge includes a 270-bed prison in the state’s north and a new remand centre in the south for up to 70 inmates.

Tasmania’s only current prison, Risdon, houses 550 prisoners.

Launceston and Burnie have both a Supreme Court and Magistrates Court and Devonport has a Magistrates Court.

Ms Archer said the $150 million stage one of the proposed prison would be built within five years and would house 140 prisoners.

She said the prison would be finalised within 10 years.

She said that if re-elected, the Government would identify an appropriate site for the northern prison.

“It’s important that we get the site located in the appropriate location so that we can adequately staff the facility and be close to other services,” she said.

“We are looking at all sites in the northern region.

“That involves a planning phase and that involves community consultation and consultation with local government as well.”

She said a lot of work had been done already by the department.

“As we move into the next phase we would recommence that work upon re-election and continue that work to immediately identify an appropriate site,” she said.

Ms Archer said the Meander Valley Council had passed a motion seeking a prison in its region.

“I can imagine other local government areas will be quite interested as well and we will work with local government to ensure we identify a site that is fit for purpose and close to facilities, close to court facilities, transport and being able to staff the prison adequately which we are committed to doing,” she said.

She would commit to co-locating close to the Ashley Youth Detention Centre.

Premier Will Hodgman said the new facilities would create more than 4000 jobs.

The commitments are in addition to upgrades to the Ron Barwick Minimum Security Prison and a new mother and baby unit announced in the 2017-18 State Budget.

Ms Archer said the northern prison, to include a women’s prison facility, would also boost rehabilitation prospects because it would be easier for families to visit prisoners from the region.

Prisoners’ Legal Service chair Greg Barns welcomed the plan for a prison facility in the north, but said he believed the Ashley Youth Detention Centre should be closed and repurposed into the northern prison to enable prisoners to be immediately moved closer to their families.

“The government seems to be locked into a strategy of increasing jail numbers quite substantially in Tasmania purely for political reasons,” Mr Barns said.

“This is money which would be much better spent on crime prevention and rehabilitation rather than simply building jails.”

MORE: LIBERALS VOW TO KEEP ASHLEY CENTRE OPEN

Human Services Minister Jacquie Petrusma said today that the Ashley Youth Detention Centre would remain open and have $7.28 million invested in a major redesign and upgrade.

Labor leader Rebecca White said her party’s priorities were not housing prisoners, but addressing causes of crime such as poverty with measures such as affordable housing strategies.

Ms Archer the Ms White had abandoned a northern prison and had instead allocated $40 million to a Launceston Reception Centre.