Two new correctional facilities are aimed at relieving overcrowding across the Territory’s prison system. Photo: Northern Territory Government.
The Finocchiaro CLP Government in the Northern Territory will develop new large-scale correctional facilities in Darwin to relieve the pressure on the corrections system.
Facilities include a dedicated men’s remand and intake centre with up to 1200 beds, and a purpose-built, 200-bed women’s prison.
The proposed facilities will be delivered on about 75 hectares of Crown land near the existing Darwin Correctional Precinct, as part of a commitment in line with a previous CLP promise to locate all correctional facilities at Holtze.
The men’s facilities will be delivered under a public-private partnership, with the private partner responsible for designing, financing, operating, building and maintaining the site.
The women’s facility will be delivered by the government as a design-and-construct tender and will be operated by the Department of Corrections.
“The Territory’s correctional system has been neglected for 10 years and because of that, requires major and urgent investment,” Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said.
“The stand-alone women’s prison delivers on our commitment to have two new women’s prisons in the Territory, with Alice Springs now operational.
“The fact is that you can’t put a price on community safety.”
Previous inaction left prisons unable to keep up with demand, leading to overcrowding and a lack of work programs and authentic rehabilitation, the government said.
Treasury is moving towards a formal expression-of-interest (EOI) process seeking candidates who can deliver the project from start to operation.
This process will take a year, and a successful applicant will be contracted by the end of 2027.
Treasurer Bill Yan said a business case had been completed and would be made available as part of the EOI process.
“It clearly shows that we must make a long-term, permanent infrastructure investment to future-proof Corrections capability,” Mr Yan said.
“The Finocchiaro CLP Government has formed the view that the best value for the Territory is with a design, finance, build, operate and maintain model so that the financial and construction risk is borne by the proponent and Territorians will not start paying for the service until it opens.
“Territorians will have certainty of an annual price to deliver remand and intake services without any initial outlay or risk.”
