It is a ‘good thing’ a Northern prison development will stay in the region says Meander mayor

Meander Valley mayor Wayne Johnston has reacted to the State Government’s Northern Regional Prison move saying it is a good thing the project will stay in the area. Find out why >>

Northern Regional Prison flat map Deloraine to Westbury. Picture: SUPPLIED

IT IS a good thing the Northern Regional Prison development will stay in the municipality says Meander Valley mayor, Wayne Johnston.

Corrections minister Elise Archer yesterday announced the Government had ditched its preferred site to built a $270 million Northern prison at the fringe of Westbury with new plans to build 3km further away from the town on Birralee Rd.

Ald Johnston said council was happy the Government had listened to the community and responded to results of a social and economic impact study.

“It’s still within our municipality, which is a good thing, but we’ll wait for them to put their development applications forward,” he said.

“We’ve had indications from some members of [opposition group Westbury Residents Against the Prison] that they’re not against prison and in this municipality, just the location.”

Ald Johnston said the past nine months since Westbury was first announced at the Government’s preferred site for the prison had been “interesting”.

“Coming in as mayor not quite 18 months ago and to have the prison on our doorsteps from when we first stepped in the door, it’s certainly been a divisive issue.

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• Government abandons Westbury as preferred northern prison site

Meander Valley mayor Wayne Johnston speaks about the Government's decision to choose a new site to build a Northern Regional Prison. Picture: PATRICK GEE

“Hopefully we can draw a line in the sand and have the pro prison and the anti-prison groups sit down and work out what’s best for the municipality.”

Meander Valley council offered up the original prison site at Westbury and another site when the State Government called for expressions of interest from councils.

“The current site which was announced [on Thursday] was not in the part of that process originally.”

Ald Johnston said the prison development was a “once in a lifetime opportunity” for council.

The new prison site is a 70ha lot of Crown forest land that will need to be rezoned before development applications are submitted to council.

Northern Regional Prison. Crown land site, Bushy Rivulet. Picture: SUPPLIED

Meander Valley council will act as the planning authority.

“It will be debated to the nth degree and we need to make sure that what we approve is something that the municipality in the first instance and the northern area in the second instance need and want.”

Ald Johnston said allegations hurled at council by groups opposing the Westbury prison throughout the State Government’s consultation process were “unfortunate”.

“Allegations of potentially myself knowing about what was happening prior to my election were not true,” he said.

“The allegations of the former mayor Mark Shelton having this as a grand 10 year plan is, I just can’t see that myself as being true.”