New prison group accuses State Government of ‘double standards’ over development site

A group opposing the government’s new northern prison site has been launched saying there’s a double standard when it comes to the new development.

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

• Westbury Residents Against the Prison vow to continue fight against Government’s jail plan
• Government abandons Westbury as preferred northern prison site
• Government rubbishes prison site reserve claims

LIKE deja vu, a new residents group has formed to oppose the State Government’s recently announced Northern Regional Prison site on Birralee Rd at Brushy Rivulet.

Concerned Residents Opposed to the Westbury Prison Site (CROWPS) is comprised of neighbours of the 70ha block of Crown land 5.2km from Westbury of which 16ha has been allocated for the development.

Corrections Minister Elise Archer last month announced the government had abandoned its original preferred prison site at an industrial precinct 2km from the centre of Westbury after community feedback.

CROWPS has released a statement saying its members united to make sure the “high conservation area stays protected” and that farming operations were protected.

“This group is extremely concerned for their family and friends and the wider community who will be directly affected by the proposed new location,” the statement said.

“Members have invested heavily in their farming properties and other residents sought out this unique location for the lifestyle it offers for them and future generations.”

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

CROWPS has accused the government of double standards regarding the environmental value of the proposed development site.

Spokesperson Aaron Reader said some residents were contacted by the State Government 30 minutes before the new site was announced and some have not been contacted at all.

He said CROWPS members met with representatives of the Department of Justice and Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment on Wednesday last week who were unable to answer questions and admitted almost no due diligence had been done.

He said department representatives were “surprised to learn” farmers with property neighbouring the prison site had applications to clear 10-15m of bushland to erect a new fence rejected on the advice of environmental specialists due to the presence of endangered and/or threatened species of flora and fauna.

He said the most recent of those rejections was June 2 this year.

Bass MP Sarah Courtney said she could not comment on the individual claim, but the government’s “initial understanding is it is a good site for a prison”.

She said the government was going through a due diligence process.

Bass MP Sarah Courtney said the Westbury site is “a good site for a prison”. Picture: Zak Simmonds

The government has denied the block is a nature conservation area and that there are records of threatened species at the site.

Ms Archer told parliament last month the reserve was originally set aside to protect what was thought to be a rare forest type, but the assessment of the block has been mistaken.

“The site does not contain protected forest. There is a very long history or timber harvesting and more recently stock grazing, rubbish dumping, illegal timber gathering and shooting,” she said.

Community group Westbury Residents Against the Prison (WRAP), which was formed after the government announced its previous preferred prison site last year, recently announced it would continue to oppose a prison development in the area.