McGowan accuses activists of ‘not listening’ after $63 million youth detention promise

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan says critics of his government’s handling of youth detention are “not listening” following a $63 million commitment to improve services and facilities at the trouble-plagued Banksia Hill detention centre.

Attendees at last week’s 90-minute Banksia Hill crisis meeting at the premier’s office, including former Australian of the Year, professor Fiona Stanley, offered differing views to the government about how the meeting went.

WA Premier Mark McGowan.Credit: Hamish Hastie

McGowan said the meeting was overwhelmingly positive and attendees agreed the government was on the right track.

But Stanley has since described it as a “disappointing summit” and made it clear that at no point did the attendees agree the government was heading in the right direction.

Criticism ramped up again on Sunday after the government announced it would spend an extra $63 million on security, staffing and mental health support at Banksia Hill on top of $25 million already pledged to repair and refit damaged cells for the centre’s most violent detainees.

Social Reinvestment WA co-chair Daniel Morrison described the extra money as a “PR stunt”.

“We do hope that this isn’t an opportunity for the premier and his government to wipe their hands off the issues around Banksia Hill,” he said.

McGowan played down the criticisms from “agitated” activists and said the money would help turn lives around.

“I think the response yesterday showed they didn’t really listen to what we announced,” he said.

“Who can disagree with that? That’s not a stunt, that’s not window dressing, that’s $63 million worth of real initiatives for people to turn their lives around and I think sometimes people are so set in their views, they don’t actually listen to what has been provided.”

McGowan repeated a previous commitment that he would not close Banksia Hill.

CCTV footage of youth custodial officers using a trained restraint technique called “folding up” on a detainee at Banksia Hill sparked outrage and prompted the government to stop its practice.

At the core of the Banksia Hill debate is the transfer of its highest-risk detainees into Unit 18 at the maximum-security Casuarina prison.

However, groups such as Social Reinvestment WA remained concerned at the level of lockdowns, self-harm and suicide attempts in Unit 18.

McGowan said the government was working to shut down Unit 18 as soon as possible, but it had to wait for work to be completed to refit damaged cells at Banksia Hill to ensure they could no longer be damaged.

Stanley wanted Unit 18 shut down by Christmas.

Of the $63 million pledged by the government, $30.9 million was to deliver infrastructure upgrades at Banksia Hill including work done on units that house high-risk detainees.

About $10 million will be spent on expanding mental health services, which McGowan’s office said was a key discussion at the crisis meeting.

About $22 million will go towards expanding staffing at Banksia Hill, including a package of recruitment and retention initiatives.

Stanley and Social Reinvestment WA want an inquiry into WA’s youth detention system, despite McGowan’s insistence there was consensus that a new inquiry was not needed.

They also want an immediate ban on the use of dangerous restraints, solitary confinement and adherence to Supreme Court rulings around the use of solitary confinement.

The group has called for a whole-of-government youth justice strategy with cabinet oversight and for the government to convene a taskforce of Aboriginal leaders to help develop changes in the youth justice system.

Crisis support is available from Lifeline on 13 11 14.