Thursday, 15 August 2024

Dhurringile Prison

Kim O’KEEFFE (Shepparton) (17:23): (789) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Corrections in the other place, and the action I seek is that the minister pauses the decommissioning of Dhurringile Prison. The recent announcement that Dhurringile Prison was closing at the end of August was a shock and has had a significant impact on the staff, prisoners, businesses and the community in my electorate. This is a historic heritage site that needs in-depth consideration regarding the future of the site, and it is premature to come in and decommission the site without a plan or a consultation process with the community.

Recently more than 100 community members filled the Dhurringile hall to share the impact of the closure of the prison and also to offer suggestions for the potential future use of the site. The closure of the prison will leave 170 onsite staff without a job and will have a significant impact on the local economy. Staff were given just 90 minutes prior notice to the media announcement of the closure of the prison. Staff were offered positions at other prison sites, but they are hours away from where they live. You cannot expect people to relocate their life when they have a home, a family, their partner working locally and children at school. It is not an option for most. As you can imagine, this has been extremely stressful on the staff, the prisoners, businesses and the community. Staff spoke at the community meeting, and ongoing support is critical to help them through this life-changing time. Many surrounding local businesses provide goods and services to the prison, and we also heard of the significant financial impact on many local businesses.

An outcome from the community meeting was to form a committee to be able to inform the government about the history and the significance of this site and to have a consultation process so community members can share their suggestions for the future of the site. The main building on the site is a magnificent mansion that is heritage listed and registered with the National Trust of Australia. We do not want to see the building sit dormant like the current secondary school site that has been sitting dormant and boarded up since 2022. We should not be rushing to decommission the Dhurringile Prison.