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On Youth Justice Reform, Ashley Youth Detention Centre …
Media release – Sarah Courtney, Minister for Children and Youth, 2 December 2021
Transition plan released for Youth Justice Reform
The safety and wellbeing of our young people is the highest priority for the Tasmanian Government, and there is nothing more important than ensuring those who are vulnerable or at risk have the support they need.
The Government is moving forward with our vision for the Youth Justice System in Tasmania, and today I am releasing the transition plan detailing the steps to reform our Youth Justice System over the next three years.
This reform is about ensuring that we have the best possible service system to respond to young people at risk, young people in conflict with the law and, importantly, young people who may be sent to custody by the courts.
The Transition Plan includes three key components:
1. The development of our Youth Justice Blueprint that will set the strategic direction for the whole Youth Justice System over the next 10 years;
2. Establishing a process for developing and supporting our Youth Justice Workforce, including current staff at Ashley and other staff right across our youth justice sector; and
3. Transitioning away from the Ashley Youth Detention Centre and the construction of two new, fit for purpose, custodial youth justice facilities – one in the north and one in the south.
To progress the transition plan we are standing up a Youth Justice Reform Steering Committee with an independent chair as well as a project team, with the recruitment underway.
Today, I am also releasing a discussion paper for consultation that will inform the development of our Youth Justice Blueprint, with stakeholders encouraged to provide feedback on the reform of our system.
Specifically we want to hear from a broad range of stakeholders on how we can build a new approach to youth justice that intervenes early to address the complex factors that lead to youth crime; emphasises early intervention and diversion strategies; and responds to young people who come in conflict with the law.
There is no doubt that there are many challenges in youth justice which go back decades, but the Government is committed to reform and won’t shy away from the change that is needed.
We want the voices of young people to be clearly heard as we develop our new approach, and we will seek the views of staff currently working in the sector, particularly those working at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre.
I would like to acknowledge the efforts staff have made toward a new Ashley which has a therapeutic approach that meets the needs of young people while also keeping the community safe.
The Blueprint discussion paper will be open for consultation on the Communities Tasmania website from today until 28 February.
As Minister for Children and Youth, it is my privilege to lead this important reform on behalf of the Tasmanian Government to support our young people to overcome the challenges they face, reach their potential and lead fulfilling and productive lives.
More information can be found at https://www.communities.tas.gov.au/children/youth_justice/youth-justice-reform.
Media release – Sarah Lovell MLC, Shadow Child Safety Minister, 2 December 2021
Three months after announcing Ashley closure Courtney comes up with … yet another discussion paper
The Gutwein Liberal Government and Minister for Children Sarah Courtney have no plan to transition children away from the Ashley Youth Detention Centre three months after announcing they would close the facility.
Shadow Child Safety Minister Sarah Lovell said Ms Courtney’s ‘announcement’ today that she was releasing yet another discussion paper and forming yet another steering committee was an empty, meaningless move that did nothing to answer serious questions about what would come next for Tasmania’s young people.
“This is the best Ms Courtney can come up with after supposedly working for the past three months on a transition plan away from Ashley,” Ms Lovell said.
“Tasmanians are sick of discussion papers and new committees from this government.
“Tasmanians want action. They want to know what Ms Courtney and the government are actually doing to ensure children are safe and their well-being is a real priority.
“What Ms Courtney has said today amounts to nothing, with no detail about what the government is doing for current Ashley staff and young people right now in the wake of the announcement the centre will close.
“There is no detail about who will actually steer her steering committee.
“Such a complete lack of detail considering the government has had three months to come up with detail is a disappointing travesty.
“Ms Courtney continues to tell Tasmanians children are the Liberal Government’s priority.
“Considering she has also confirmed today that new programs for children sent to the Northern Territory’s Brahminy program won’t be in place in Tasmania for at least a year, that claim is just not to be believed.”
Media statement – Westbury Region Against the Prison Inc, 2 December 2021
Is the Ashley site still on the table or was it all smoke and mirrors?
In September 2021, Premier Gutwein announced that the Ashley Youth Detention Centre would close within the next three years. He subsequently indicated that the site would also be on the table for the Northern Regional Prison.
That announcement left many opposed to the prison near Westbury confident that it would be moved away from the Brushy Rivulet nature reserve, which is so obviously the poorest possible site for the proposal.
However, Elise Archer MP, Minister for Corrections, shortly after insisted that a development application would indeed progress on the nature reserve near Westbury. The Department of Justice pressed on with its tender process for the architectural design on the controversial site.
On ABC morning radio yesterday, Mr Ian Levy, Chief Executive Officer of Australia Bauxite Ltd discussed a mining exploration licence had been applied for over 51 square kilometres on Birralee Road. He confirmed what we already knew, that the land includes the nature reserve which is the proposed site for the prison.
Had the nature reserve been formalised under the Nature Conservation Act 2002 (which is what the Tasmanian Government committed to do when it acquired the land) it could not have been included in the exploration licence. But because the government has breached its contract with the Commonwealth and has done nothing to formalise the reserve, the mining company was able to incorporate the area into its application.
In a notice recently published only in The Advocate, the Director of Mines has indicated that he intends to recommend to Guy Barnett MP, the Minister for Resources, that the licence over the entire area, including the Brushy Rivulet reserve, be granted.
But in a surprise development, Mr Levy announced on ABC mornings yesterday that he has been asked to carve out the nature reserve from the application because the government intends to build the prison there. And this evening, Sarah Courtney MP announced that Ashley Youth Detention Centre will not be decommissioned until 2024.
The announcement of the Ashley site as an alternative to the Brushy Rivulet nature reserve appears to have been a smoke screen. All current signs point to the prison proceeding at the reserve, and Ashley is not getting a look in.
Only Premier Gutwein is in a position to clarify what’s happening. If he does not do so, we fully intend to make this a federal election issue in 2022 because the federal government can stop this at the stroke of a pen.