Business boss shocks with Westbury prison comments: Decision finally to be announced

Opponents of the controversial Westbury prison are “really, really pleased” with some out-of-character comments made by one of Tasmania’s business bosses.

The proposed site of the Northern prison at Birralee Road, Westbury. PICTURE CHRIS KIDD

A DECISION on whether or not a prison will be built on the outskirts of Westbury will soon be announced following shock comments from business boss Michael Bailey saying the Government should abandon the site.

A study into the social and economic impact a 275-bed jail might have on the Meander Valley community is now complete and in the Government’s hands

Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Michael Bailey was quoted in the Meander Valley Gazette this week saying: “I think the prison has been an absolute failure as far as communication goes. I can understand the Westbury community being really worried about it. The government needs to change tack and do it quickly”.

Corrections minister Elise Archer said she welcomed Mr Bailey’s view that a new Northern Prison would bring economic befits to northern Tasmania, but said she does not agree with his claims about consultation and communication.

TCCI CEO, Michael Bailey.

She said extensive consultation since September 2019 had shown some in the community opposed the prison while others welcomed investment in the area.

“The Tasmanian Government has now recently received the Study and we will consider it thoroughly and then release it in full, as promised,” Ms Archer said.

“The Government intends to make an announcement about this important infrastructure development soon.”

RELATED LINKS:

• Westbury prison opponents seek guarantee over Major Projects legislation
• Anti-prison activists cash up with crowd funding campaign
• Prison group threatens to take on Government at election
• Council’s letter to minister over prison survey ‘utterly disingenuous’, says opponent

Corrections Minister Elise Archer addresses the crowd at a community meeting at Westbury. Picture: PATRICK GEE

Westbury Residents Against the Prison president Linda Poulton said she was shocked, but “really, really pleased” to see Mr Bailey’s comments.

“We thought that he was very much of a view that Westbury needed to form part of the construction program that the premier had been talking about,” she said.

“It certainly was comforting to us and it certainly can give us some hope that this thing might go away.”

Greens MP Rosalie Woodruff this week said the Government’s Major Projects Bill, now supported by Labor, may enable contentious projects such as the prison to be waved through.

“The thought of the Major Projects Bill being able to be used against us at such a late point was very disheartening,” Ms Poulton said.

Proposed new Northern Regional Prison site at Birralee Rd, Westbury

“[The prison] doesn’t have a social license, so it was never going to get off the ground quickly.

“There’s still lingering concern about that legislation and its potential to be used, as we understand it, to remove the current planning process almost no matter how far into it you’ve gotten.

“Labor’s support for that was a bit disappointing, but I imagine there’s a lot of pressure there to get the economy back up and running.”

Ms Poulton said those in the community that opposed the prison being built at Westbury were “anxiously waiting” a decision one way or the other.

“We have been waiting a very long time,” she said.