No fence, no prison? Environment claims over prison site

Building a prison on a greenfields site near at Westbury may be complicated by the fact a necessary part of the construction has been banned on environmental grounds, a new residents group says.

• Government abandons Westbury as preferred northern prison site
• Social and Economic Impact Study for new jail at Westbury

BUILDING a prison on a greenfields site near at Westbury may be complicated by the fact fences have been banned on environmental grounds, a new residents group says.

Concerned Residents Opposed to the Westbury Prison Site say if fences weren’t allowed, the prison project might be a hard to get past planning authorities.

“Over the past year owners of a neighbouring property have sought approval from the Crown three times to clear ten to fifteen metres of bushland bordering the Brushy Rivulet Crown Reserve to erect a new fence,” spokesman Aaron Reader said.

“They have been refused on each occasion with the last rejection occurring on 2 June, 2020.

“This decision was on the advice of environmental specialists due to the presence of endangered and/or threatened species of flora and fauna protected under the Threatened Species Act 1995 and/or Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

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

“How is it that the Tasmanian Government can now seemingly change their rules and demolish 16ha of high conservation area to build a maximum-security prison?

“Obviously the Tasmanian Government considers that different rules apply to them.

“There appears to be no regard to conserve such an irreplaceable piece of land and all that it contains for future generations.”

Justice Minister Elise Archer last September announced an industrial site two kilometres from the village centre was the government’s preferred location for the $270 million project, before last month settling on a new site five kilometres from town.

Ms Archer said the government would follow all relevant environmental laws when developing the prison.

“The government is very cognisant we’ve said all along in relation to the new site that if there are environment or environmental matters, then they will be taken into account as they would for any project development. What we need to remember here is that the site has been moved as a result of a very extensive community consultation over nine months, all residents had an opportunity to contribute to that consultation by either one-on-one meetings with myself, by feedback of which I’ve received a significant amount and the phone and mail-out surveys in relation to the social and economic impact study.

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