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.