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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 197 asked in the Legislative Council on 1 June 2021 by Hon Neil Thomson

Parliament: 41 Session: 1

BROOME REGIONAL PRISON

197. Hon NEIL THOMSON to the minister representing the Minister for Corrective Services:

I refer to the announcement on Friday, 28 May that the location of the Broome Regional Prison has been finalised. The minister's answer to question without notice 138 asked on Tuesday, 25 May—three days before that announcement—suggested that two locations were still under consideration and a consultation process would occur with affected community members in the coming weeks.

(1) On what date did the minister finalise the decision on the location of the new Broome prison?

(2) If a decision was imminent, why did the minister say in his answer that two locations were still in consideration and, I quote ''�the Department of Justice will begin the next phase of consultation with affected community members in the coming weeks before a final decision is made''?

(3) Did the minister mislead Parliament with his answer to question without notice 138?

Hon DARREN WEST replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. On behalf of the minister representing the Minister for Corrective Services, I provide the following answer.

(1) The traditional owners provided consent for an approximately 200-hectare parcel of land to be made available to the state government for the development of the new Broome Regional Prison on 28 May 2021.

(2) At the time the answer was provided to the member, it was not known if and when the traditional owners would provide consent for a site to be progressed. Two sites remained under consideration until consent was provided on 28 May.

The consented site is further away from the 12 Mile community than the second alternative site. This site is at least two to three kilometres away from residential properties. Further work must now be done to progress and finalise the location of the prison development within the larger site. The Minister for Corrective Services has publicly undertaken to engage in further consultation, including an offer to personally attend a meeting with affected community members.

(3) No.