New Northern Regional Prison site announcement raises eyebrows

UPDATED: The announcement of the impending Northern Regional Prison’s preferred site has divided community leaders.

The proposed new Northern Regional Prison site at Birralee Rd, Westbury.

UPDATED:

THE announcement of the impending Northern Regional Prison’s preferred site has divided community leaders, with some calling the decision “foolish”.

Corrections Minister Elise Archer yesterday announced the $270 million project was expected to be built at Birralee Rd in the state’s North, about 2km north of Westbury.

SITE SELECTED TO HOUSE NEW NORTHERN PRISON TO BE KNOWN SOON

Meander Valley Mayor Wayne Johnston welcomed the announcement but acknowledged a few members of the community might hold reservations.

Meander Valley Council Mayor Wayne Johnston. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

He said it would bring a range of ancillary services to the region such as laundry and food services which “would have flow-on effect”.

CALLS FOR LAND OWNERS WHO WOULD LIKE A PRISON

Meander Valley Football Club manager Alex Wadley took a cautious view.

“Most of the workers will need to be experienced, and will most likely not be sourced locally. Secondly, many will commute — who’d want to be a prison guard and see the families of the prisoners as they come to visit,” Mr Wadley wrote in a Westbury community Facebook group.

“I want to know how this is going to affect property prices and the potential of people who may have chosen to live here choosing elsewhere due to a prison being built.”

Stage one of the prison is set to be completed by 2024 and will house 140 prisoners.

Set to be fully functional by 2029, the prison will employ about 250 staff once complete and hundreds during construction.

Greens justice spokeswoman Rosalie Woodruff said the new prison project was a “foolish, regressive policy”.

Greens MP Rosalie Woodruff.

“The $270 million spend could be directed to drug rehabilitation, social programs, public housing and transport options for remote areas, bolstering employment and community participation,” she said.

CONTENDERS LINE UP TO BE HOME TO NEW PRISON

The Salvation Army’s Brad Watson agreed, saying a second Tasmanian prison “wouldn’t create correctional or economic benefit”.

“The Salvation Army would welcome further investment in diversion programs that have been proven successful in this space,” he said.

Community and Public Sector Union secretary Tom Lynch said Tasmania couldn’t wait years for the State Government to address its prison “crisis”.

“We have a prison service that’s in crisis in 2019 yet the Government is talking about solutions for 2024 [stage one completion] and 2029,” he said.

“It’s too long. It’s too slow … We cannot house these people in a broken prison system for another five years.”

Ms Archer said the Government would “extensively” consult with the Westbury community following the prison site announcement.

Elise Archer. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

“The Government is committed to an open and transparent community consultation process to alleviate any concerns raised by the local community and to explain the many positives the development of the Northern Regional Prison will bring to the region,” she said.

Labor corrections spokeswoman Ella Haddad said more was needed to be done “right now” to support Tasmanian Prison Service staff who “are crying out for more Government support”.

EARLIER:

A TASMANIAN mayor has welcomed the news of a new prison to be built in his municipality.

Meander Valley Council Mayor Wayne Johnston on Monday said he and the council welcomed the announcement of Launceston’s $270 million Northern Regional Prison set to be built at Westbury in the state’s North.

Corrections Minister Elise Archer will formally announce the project today after the State Government opened expressions of interest for the prison in 2017 following a rise in Risdon Prison’s population.

The new Northern Regional Prison is set to be built on Birralee Rd, about 2km north of the Westbury township.

Cr Johnston said the council welcomed the prison to be built within the northern municipality, but said a few community members might not be as welcoming.

“There will be those who won’t want it in their backyard but there will also be those who are thinking about the jobs and the benefit this project will bring to the area,” he said.

“It’s a $270m build and therefore a big investment in the north of the state.

“It will bring a range of ancillary services such as laundry and food services, so the flow-on effect will be huge. Although, it isn’t a done deal yet and must get planning scheme approval.”

Meander Valley Football Club manager Alex Wadley took a cautious view on the announcement.

“Most of the workers will need to be experienced, and will most likely not be sourced locally. Secondly, many will commute — who’d want to be a prison guard and see the families of the prisoners as they come to visit,” Mr Wadley wrote in a Westbury community Facebook group.

“Most of all I want to know how this is going to affect property prices and the potential of people who may have chosen to live here choosing elsewhere due to a prison being built there.”

Real Estate Institute of Tasmania President Tony Collidge said he expected the prison to have “minimal impact” on property prices.

“I don’t think it will [have an impact] so long as the State Government has thought it through and is not going to plonk it right in the heart of the township like at Risdon Vale,” he said.

“The Risdon Prison hasn’t really affected real estate in Risdon Vale and Geilston Bay but it’s likely held back the prices.”

The preferred site announcement comes after the Mercury today revealed a 2018 independent review into workplace culture at the Launceston Reception Prison found that harassment, bullying and intimidation were entrenched in the prison’s workplace.