Spring site survey to delay prison plan even longer

The currently nominated site for the proposed Northern regional Prison, is on Crown land at Brushy Rivulet, also known as Westbury Reserve or Marney’s Hill Reserve. Photo supplied

Sharon Webb

THE STATE Government’s planning application for a new prison at Birralee Road could be delayed until December this year or later.

An April letter from the Justice Department secretary Ginna Webster has confirmed that environment consultants are waiting until spring to conduct necessary plant and wildlife surveys.

Ms Webster wrote, ‘As required for an assessment of some of the potential floral species on the site, there will be a need for a seasonal survey which is scheduled for this coming spring.

‘The results of the natural values assessment will also provide information on the presence of introduced species and any species protected under both Commonwealth and State legislation.’

The spring survey information, contained in a letter to WRAP anti-prison spokesperson Linda Poulton, means the government’s prison development schedule released in June 2020 will be at least a year behind time.

The government lost valuable time on the project because its first environment consultant EcoTas dropped out in November last year, unable to reach a contract agreement with the government. North Barker Ecosystems Services was later appointed.

Almost a year after the government announced the Brushy Creek nature reserve as the second proposed site for the prison, there has been no full natural survey of the site.

Tellingly, Ms Webster gave no indication that environmental issues would hinder the State Government’s plan to have the prison in that location.

The Corrections Minister who proposed the prison, Elise Archer, has consistently said that the prison’s development application will be put to Meander Valley councillors to approve or reject.

‘All the information collected as part of the due diligence process will be made publicly available when the combined planning scheme amendment and development application is lodged with the Meander Valley Council’, Ms Webster wrote.

Tasmanian wildlife expert Nick Mooney said the spring site assessment, to be done by North Barker, was necessary because a lot of plants could not be properly identified until they flowered.

In addition, spring and summer was the optimal time for a bird survey to include the many migratory birds using the site.