Reset for a failure to communicate
By Sharon Webb
TASMANIA’S MOST prominent business leader has advised the State Government to axe the Westbury location for a proposed northern prison, find a new location and ‘get on with it’ to support COVID-19 business recovery in Tasmania. Anti-prison group Westbury Region Against the Prison (WRAP) lauded the comment by Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce CEO, Michael Bailey. ‘Even if there are funds left in the kitty for this project and it remains on the government’s agenda, they really need to go back to the drawing board with their site selection process and get it right next time,’ said WRAP president Linda Poulton. Mr Bailey’s comment comes as Corrections Minister Elise Archer has announced that the socio-economic report on the prison completed by consultants SGS Economics and Planning finally has been delivered to the government.
Mr Bailey said of the proposed prison site on Birralee Road, ‘If I were the government I’d press “reset”. I’d focus on moving it to a viable location and get on with it. ‘I think the prison has been an absolute failure as far as communication goes. I can understand the Westbury community being really worried about it. The government needs to change tack and do it quickly.’ Corrections Minister Elise Archer asked to see a detailed statement of Mr Bailey’s comments but refused to respond on changing the prison site.
Press ‘reset’ on prison site, TCCI tells Minister Archer
While saying she did not
agree her department’s communications on the issue had been a failure, Ms Archer hinted at the still-secret Meander Valley municipality response to the mail-out prison site survey. ‘There has been extensive consultation over the preferred site with the community since September 2019 including public meetings, one-on-one meetings with myself, numerous mail-outs, a Westbury phone survey as well as a mail survey to residents,’ she said. ‘This consultation demonstrated that some in the community oppose the prison at the preferred site while others welcome such an investment in the local area. To suggest the entire community does not want the Northern Regional Prison is not correct.’ Mr Bailey said that following the Covid-19 lock-down, large projects like building a prison could provide economic benefits for Tasmanian businesses and workers. ‘I’d consider a northern prison to be very useful in kick-starting our economy. In its construction phase it would be the State’s biggest project since the Royal Hobart Hospital redevelopment.
Site is viable as far as the community is concerned. Clearly the community needs to want the prison. Meander Valley is a logical place but if Westbury doesn’t want it, don’t put it there. ‘Other sites may be more appropriate from the community’s perspective. I know the government is looking at other sites.’ Ms Archer responded, ‘I welcome the fact that the TCCI recognises the economic benefits a new Northern Regional Prison will bring to Northern Tasmania.’ WRAP president Linda Poulton said the group was ‘extremely pleased to learn that Mr Bailey now shares our view that Westbury is not the right place for the Northern Regional Prison because it needs to go where a community wants it’. ‘WRAP naturally supports the TCCI’s call for the Government to press “the reset button” on this project. ‘We trust Mr Bailey has conveyed this position to the Government to assist them in the critical decisions they will need to make for Tasmania moving forward.’
