Opponents of the NSW Government’s proposal to build a prison on a large parcel of industrial and residential zoned land at Kembla Grange have begun their campaign to have the issue debated in parliament.
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On Thursday, organisers of a group called Residents Against Dapto Jail launched a petition, calling on “reasonable and rational local residents” to oppose the jail.
Signatures will need to be collected in hard copy to be considered for a debate in NSW Parliament, which residents hope would stop the prison proposal from proceeding any further.
“We've been told we won't have any more detail on the prison until later this year, however, the community has already spoken,” Dapto resident Stephen Beck, who is building a house across the road from the proposed prison site, said.
“We’ll get these 10,000 signatures and it will show that. We’re now urging the government to stop wasting taxpayer money and end the plan now.
“This is a proud town and we don’t want the state’s largest prison with its worst prisoners next door.”
Mr Beck and his wife Ami will launch the petition in Dapto town centre on Sunday morning, and it will also be placed in supportive shops.
Ms Beck said campaigners believe the government could find a better location than a block neighbouring the West Dapto development area for a high security jail.
“There are dozens of locations throughout NSW where a jail wouldn’t neighbour 20,000 new homes,” she said.
“There are so many better spots. There are better uses for this land that would create thousands more sustainable jobs in industries like exporting.”
Much of the land earmarked for the prison is zoned for heavy industry, which is designed to house manufacturing enterprises, transport depots or uses that “need to be separate from other land uses” due to their hazardous or offensive nature.
The campaigners have also proposed a door-knocking drive and have made the petition available for download online at their website nodaptojail.com.
The Illawarra’s Parliamentary Secretary Gareth Ward welcomed news of the petition, and said he would be able to announced dates for community consultation sessions soon.
Mr Ward has written to some residents to say he hopes the information sessions will be held in June.
Watson’s call to ‘start jail consultation now’
Shellharbour MP Anna Watson has called on the NSW Corrections minister to bring forward public information sessions on the proposed jail site at Kembla Grange.
Ms Watson wrote to Minister for Corrections David Elliott on Thursday, saying news that the government was considering 230 hectares of land in the West Dapto development area for a maximum security prison had generated concern among residents in her electorate.
“When this announcement was made… the government said it would be consulting the community to understand their concerns,” she said.
“Weeks later, we are still waiting to hear when community information sessions will be held. You cannot announce something of this magnitude and then leave local residents in the dark.”
She asked that information session be held no later than the end of May.
If the petition against the jail reaches its goal of 10,000 signatures, Ms Watson will present it to parliament.
While she says more information is needed to declare whether she would support the prison plan, Ms Watson has said she would “back my constituents and what their views are”.
Until community consultation sessions are announced, NSW Corrective Services has set up a phone line and email address for residents to voice their views about the prison.
Correctives have advised that they are only doing “preliminary investigations” at present, but residents can phone 1800 875 345, email newprisons@justice.nsw.gov.au or visit newprisons.justice.nsw.gov.au.
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
