Budget 2009–10 – Green light for Villawood redevelopment
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
The Australian Government will deliver on its commitment to extensively redevelop the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre, with $186.3 million allocated for the five-year project, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, said today.
‘The redevelopment of Villawood – Australia’s largest onshore immigration detention centre – forms part of this Government’s overall promise to update immigration detention accommodation,’ Senator Evans said.
‘Villawood was originally constructed as an immigration hostel in 1949.
‘A feasibility study for the redevelopment was undertaken following last year’s Budget and, now it is complete, we can move ahead with making improvements to the centre to ensure the facility better reflects the Government’s New Directions in Detention values.’
The $186.3 million will cover the design development, community consultation process and operational planning, tender documentation, construction, final fit-out and commissioning of the new centre.
‘The redeveloped centre will include a range of accommodation options to account for the different requirements of people in detention,’ Senator Evans said.
‘This will include the construction of a larger, more secure, purpose-designed unit for higher-risk people in detention. In other areas, the refurbished buildings will be residential-style accommodation.
‘We plan to make the most of the existing infrastructure, where possible, to ensure greater value for money.’
While the Department of Finance and Deregulation will manage the project, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship is informing the functional design requirements and is responsible for stakeholder engagement.
The redevelopment, which will remedy concerns raised through the Australian Human Rights Commission, will now proceed to detailed design and scrutiny through the Public Works Committee of Parliament. It is envisaged the redevelopment works will be done in stages, with the project to be completed in 2013–14.
While the facility on Christmas Island remains the main centre for processing unauthorised boat arrivals, Villawood is the primary onshore detention facility. Villawood will remain operational throughout the capital works period.
URL: http://www.minister.immi.gov.au
/media/media-releases/2009/ce04-budget-09.htm
Last update: 12 May 2009 at 19:46 AEST