NSW Corrections Minister Anoulack Chanthivong has insisted further closures to Goulburn jail aren’t in the pipeline. Photo: John Thistleton.
A NSW Government minister has defended the government’s plan to close part of Goulburn’s jail.
The Goulburn Correctional Complex houses two facilities – the Goulburn Correctional Centre (Goulburn CC) and the High Risk Management Correctional Centre (HRMCC), or ‘Supermax’.
Earlier this year, the NSW Government announced its plan to close the maximum security wing of Goulburn CC, which consists of four Victorian-era wings.
Silverwater Women’s Correctional Centre will also face operational changes.
It’s understood Goulburn’s Supermax facility will not be affected.
NSW Minister for Corrective Services Anoulack Chanthivong has insisted there won’t be wider changes to the facility.
“The only decision that the government’s made is based on the two heritage wings,” he told Region.
He said the decision was made in light of safety concerns, with a “primary motive” of providing a safer working environment for Corrective staff and inmates.
“These are very old facilities … [There are concerns] around ligature points,” he said.
“You’re talking about how you can’t refurbish them to modern standards; you’re talking about missing showers.”
Previously, the inspector recommended Corrective Services NSW develop plans for the closure of Goulburn CC’s maximum security accommodation units and yards.
A report released in June 2022 stated it would be “impossible” to refurbish it to satisfactory standards.
As part of the closure, it’s understood 170 inmates will be transferred from Goulburn to the Junee and Clarence correctional centres.
The NSW Government previously stated that affected staff will be offered opportunities for redeployment to equivalent positions within Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW).
A six-month consultation period with staff is ongoing, with staff invited to provide ideas.
Mr Chanthivong said he would be heading to Goulburn to meet with the community later this year.
“[We] want to hear from the ideas from the officers about what they believe could work, and that negotiation is ongoing.
“I would welcome any ideas that their local workforce has.”
He said it was too early to discuss any specific support that could be provided to staff or what future staffing arrangements could look like.
“We have to go through the dialogue process first.”
But Mr Chanthivong pointed to existing vacancies at Goulburn CC, and said those would likely be used to accommodate staff who wished to stay on.
“Some of these current vacancies are really just part of the normal operations of Goulburn, so officers can, really, switch into essentially what they were doing before.
“There’s not a huge gap between what the vacancies are, or the current vacancies, and what impacted officers’ roles at Goulburn [are]. It’d be an almost seamless transition in filling those vacancies.”
He also pointed to an internal assessment, which found the economic impact on Goulburn is set to be “very minimal”.
“This is not going to have a great impact on the local economy at all, because nobody’s being forced to take a redundancy or being forced to relocate.”
His comments came on the eve of a rally being organised at Belmore Park.
Mr Chanthivong said he wouldn’t be attending and labelled the protest as “based on mistrust and misinformation”.
“If people choose to go, obviously, that’s a decision for them,” he said.
“What I would say is, don’t be misled by misinformation and mistruths from the local member who’s drumming this up as part of a political scaremongering campaign.”
He denied the confusion showed further community consultation was needed around the plan.
“The government has taken a very considered and careful approach in making this decision in the best interest of the workforce, in the best interest of the local community.”
These changes are expected to be in effect by the end of September.
Original Article published by Claire Sams on About Regional.
