New prison in Werribee South to replace Melbourne Youth Justice Centre in Parkville after riots review

Updated February 06, 2017 12:32:49

Photo: The new prison is scheduled to be built by 2020 and will have 224 beds. (Supplied: Victorian Government)

The Victorian Government will build a new high security prison in Melbourne's outer south-west, and will eventually close down the troubled Parkville youth justice centre, the Premier has announced.

The Government hopes to have the $288-million youth justice centre built at Werribee South by the end of 2020, after repeated riots at Malmsbury and Parkville, and a mass break-out.

Wyndham's mayor has vowed to fight the decision, saying the council had not been consulted and the area had already been earmarked for a technology hub.

Some young offenders are currently being held in a gazetted wing at Barwon Prison, a high security adult prison, while riot damage at Parkville is being repaired.

Premier Daniel Andrews said a "damning" independent report into the existing youth justice centre at Parkville confirmed the need for the new facility.

The review found the Parkville centre was not suitable for its intended purpose and posed an unacceptable risk to staff and young inmates.

"The Comrie report, which provides a very damning commentary on the state of Parkville, talks about the fact that if a facility is not secure, then no rehabilitation, no effective programs can be run in that facility," Mr Andrews said.

Photo: The proposed site of a new youth justice centre, just off the Princes Freeway. (Supplied: Victorian Government)

Youth detention centre 'not cheap'

Built to house 224 offenders, the facility will cost more than $1 million per bed.

"This is a high security facility, its footprint will be significant, and it needs to be built to the standards that are internationally accepted as being a safe and secure place for the community as well as those who are in custody, and of course staff," Mr Andrews said.

"So yes, these are not cheap, and in many respects this would have been cheaper if we hadn't ignored the state of affairs at Parkville for so long."

The Government also announced that it is moving responsibility for the youth justice system from the Department of Health and Human Services to Corrections Victoria, part of the Department of Justice.

Photo: Detainees climbed onto the roof of Malmsbury's correction facility earlier this year. (Channel 7)

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy criticised the Government for not acting sooner on problems in the youth justice system.

"It's been in crisis for more than a year, we've got an inept Minister in charge, a Premier who's stuck his head in the sand," he said.

Problems have plagued the system for more than a decade, with a 2010 report deeming the Parkville centre "appalling" and recommending it be completely replaced.

Former deputy ombudsman John Taylor, who helped author the report, said both sides of Parliament were to blame for the state's youth justice crisis.

"It's a problem that should have been recognised and certainly should have been dealt with sooner," Mr Taylor said.

'Disappointing' decision, local council says

Wyndham Mayor Henry Barlow said the decision to build the centre in the "heart of the community" was "disappointing to say the least".

"Obviously the community and council is outraged about this proposal in its current location and the community are making it very clear to us that we ... will want to fight this," he said.

"The Local Government Act requires councils to be transparent and consult with their communities but we haven't had any of that from the State Government at this stage."

He said the area had been earmarked by the Government as a hub for research and the high tech industry that would deliver 2,500 jobs to the area.

The council is set to discuss the matter at a meeting on Friday night, and the community will hold a meeting next Monday.

Ratepayers Association of Werribee South president Joe Garra said the decision would affect investment in the area.

"If you draw a circle around where they've proposed it, you encompass the whole Werribee tourism precinct, the market gardens, you're on the way to Werribee Harbour," he said.

"You're right next to Werribee East which the Government has said they wanted to make the jewel of the west, in having an education, business and residential precinct.

"They've asked consortia to invest in Werribee East, so I don't know how they're going to convince people to pour multi-million dollars into an area right next to a juvenile detention centre."

Future of Parkville centre site undecided

Families and Children Minister Jenny Mikakos said once the new facility was built, the youth justice centre in Parkville would be closed.

Photo: Police outside the Melbourne Youth Justice Centre at Parkville during a riot last year. (ABC News: Seraphine Charpentier-Andre )

The Government has not decided what to do with the Parkville land once the youth prison is closed down.

Ms Mikakos said the new centre would have "security as the foremost consideration".

"It'll be a high security facility with six-metre perimeter fencing, ram-proof gates, it'll have internal perimeter fencing around each unit and there will be other measures introduced in accordance with the recommendations from [review author] Neil Comrie," she said.

"We are making sure that the facility of course will continue to offer rehabilitation opportunities for young offenders. There will be a school and a programs area within this facility."

Topics: law-crime-and-justice, prisons-and-punishment, youth, community-and-society, government-and-politics, state-parliament, parliament, melbourne-3000, werribee-3030, parkville-3052, vic

First posted February 06, 2017 09:25:27