The Caloundra community has spoken on plans for a youth remand centre near its CBD, with a petition being tabled in State Parliament.
Member for Kawana Jarrod Bleijie tabled the petition, which drew 6147 signatures.
He said in a speech to Parliament that the signatures represented “a huge petition” and the majority of people who had signed were residents in the Caloundra electorate.
- Related article: Proposed youth remand centre space concerns
“I would estimate that that equates to approximately 15 per cent of the voting public in Caloundra who have signed a petition against a youth jail,” he said.
“They do not want it. It is a fantasy to believe that the Labor government and the Member for Caloundra (Jason Hunt) are consulting with the community.
“If the electorate of Caloundra had known that the Labor Party had secret plans for a youth jail, that member would not be sitting in this place now — guaranteed. He would not be there.”
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A Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning spokesperson said more than 780 submissions had been received and the department was reviewing those submissions.
A Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs spokesperson said converting the existing Caloundra Watchhouse to a short-term remand centre was still in the proposal phase and any modifications to the existing facility were yet to be confirmed.
Feedback from community engagement would form part of an Environment Assessment Report to be used to inform the final planning decision, they said.
The spokesperson thanked those residents who had provided comments during the engagement process.
Mr Bleijie told Parliament he understood employment positions already had been advertised for the youth remand centre.
The planned centre would act as an overflow facility for alleged youth offenders awaiting trial, or a place to become available in one of the state’s three main youth detention facilities.
The State Government says the watchhouse is underutilised.
Community groups say the project is not a good fit for the tourist town but believe the controversial plan is already a done deal.
Supporters of the campaign against the planned facility, earmarked for the gateway to Caloundra on Gregson Place, believe the proposed facility to be a youth jail by another name and would house more alleged offenders than had been the case in the past as a watchhouse.
The site is close to a school, early learning centre, hospital, RSL and other businesses.
“I will tell the Member for Caloundra this: there is a difference between an overnight watchhouse of eight people and a youth jail facility with over 30 young offenders in it,” Mr Bleijie told Parliament.
“If he only read his government’s own documents, he would know that they are going to put a big fence around it.
“The watchhouse does not have an electric fence around it, so if there is no difference, why on earth would they put a big barbed wire fence around a youth jail?
“It would be to keep the young offenders in jail.”
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Mr Bleijie told MPs the Sunshine Coast was experiencing a youth crime crisis which he expected to become worse if the remand centre proposal went ahead.
