Guy Barnett says Government has listened to community’s ‘legitimate concerns’ over new northern prison site

Local residents are ramping up their fight against the proposed site for a new prison in the state’s north.

An artist’s impression of the proposed new northern prison in Westbury.

WESTBURY residents are organising to oppose the Government’s plan to build a prison on the edge of their town.

An “anti-prison rally” will be held on Saturday at the Westbury Village Green followed by a meeting for those opposed to the prison to form an officially incorporated association.

A flyer posted on a Westbury community Facebook page said the association would have a $10 membership fee, which would go towards the fighting fund.

It was announced last month that an industrial property 2km from Westbury’s town centre was the Government’s preferred location for a $270 million northern prison.

Lyons MP Guy Barnett this week rejected suggestions that Government consultation around the project had been lacking and local MPs had been absent since the announcement.

Several residents have told the Mercury of their concerns over a perceived lack of consultation between Government and the community.

Long-time Westbury resident Peter Wileman told the Mercury he believed local and state governments were trying to push through the Westbury prison development with “secrecy” and “lies”.

“The prison was announced on September 30. [Residents] were notified by mail on the 2nd of October that the prison was to be built and that there would be public consultation in September — the previous month,” Mr Wileman said.

“We’re still gobsmacked by this. It’s a pretty, heritage-rich village and it just seems to be an obscenity to put a prison in a place like this.”

The proposed site of the northern prison at Birralee Road, Westbury. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

Mr Wileman said the region’s Liberal MPs had not engaged in community consultation “until they were bombarded by questions from the locals about why they weren’t there”.

The Government has held two community consultation sessions in Westbury since the announcement and it is understood a community workshop was also held.

“I honestly believe that we’ve shamed them into showing their faces,” Mr Wileman said.

Mr Barnett and former Meander Valley mayor and Lyons MP Mark Shelton attended the second of the sessions in Westbury last Friday.

NUMBER OF PRISON LOCKDOWNS CANNOT BE KNOWN

Mr Barnett said he was in Westbury again on Sunday.

“I think what’s important for the community of Westbury is that they know they have been listened to,” Mr Barnett said.

“It’s very important to get feedback from the residents. They have absolutely got some concerns — legitimate concerns that have been taken on board.”

The Government plans to take a delegation of council and community representatives to Victoria and New South Wales to “learn the pros and cons” of building prisons near regional towns.

Owner of Westbury store Once Upon a Time Collectibles, Eve Robson, said Westbury was too small to absorb a maximum-security prison and the prison would hurt the town’s tourism opportunities.

A meeting was held by community members last week to collate up to eight petitions that had been created in opposition of the prison.