Community Safety Plan for Queensland: Construction progressing on Wacol Youth Remand Centre

• Rapid-build Wacol Youth Remand Centre on track to commence operational commissioning by the end of 2024.
• There will be a total of 76 beds at the facility, an increase from the original plan of 50.
• Design for the facility has been fast-tracked to improve capacity and reduce the number of young people in watchhouses.

Construction on the Wacol Youth Remand Centre is progressing rapidly after it was fast-tracked to help reduce the number of young people in watchhouses.

The Queensland Police Service (QPS) in close consultation with the Department of Youth Justice and partners specially designed the state-of-the-art facility to best support young people in custody and help minimise the time they are held in watchhouses.

The centre’s superstructure is fully constructed and the modular cells have already been installed in two detention wings. Construction is progressing on time and the facility is expected to be ready for operational commissioning in December.

The Miles Government committed more than $260 million in funding in late 2023 to construct the new Youth Remand Centre at Wacol and close to $150 million over three years to operate the facility.

The new facility is a key pillar of the Miles Labor Government’s $1.3 billion Community Safety Plan for Queensland, focused on prevention, intervention and detention.

The government is also building new youth detention centres in Woodford and Cairns to boost detention capacity and enable improved access to support services for young people.

The remand centre is being constructed directly opposite two existing youth detention centres, to provide young people with essential education, health care and rehabilitation services while they are on remand.

The centre is being constructed directly opposite two existing youth detention centres, to provide young people with essential education, health care and rehabilitation services.

The facility will initially be operated by the Department of Youth Justice, increasing the number of youth detention beds until the new youth detention centre opens at Woodford.

The Wacol centre will include 76 detention beds, alongside several internal and open-air exercise yards.

In contrast, the LNP savagely cut Police and Youth Justice resources when in Government.

David Crisafulli, under Campbell Newman, oversaw nearly $10 million in youth justice funding, cuts to frontline police and police personnel and more than $23 million in cuts to police equipment funding.

Quotes attributable to the Premier:

“My plan to keep Queenslanders safe includes more police on the beat, tough new laws and removing detention as a last resort from the Youth Justice Act.

“That means we are seeing more people held in custody, as community safety comes first.

“We’re delivering increased remand and detention capacity using modern methods of construction, so our police can get on with the job of keeping Queensland communities safe.

“We are listening to what the evidence tells us is the best way to ensure offenders can access rehabilitation programs to reduce reoffending.

“But we’re also investing big in targeted intervention and prevention initiatives to address the complex causes of crime as early as possible.

“Only Labor has a plan for a safer Queensland.”

Quotes attributable to Deputy Premier and Treasurer Cameron Dick:

“Real measures to address community safety must be based on evidence, fully detailed and properly funded.

“Our Community Safety Plan aims to reduce offending, but for those who are arrested and present a risk to the community, we will ensure they can be properly detained."

Quotes attributable to Police Minister Mark Ryan

“The Miles Government continues to invest in prevention, intervention and detention programs that aim to deliver the best outcomes for young people, including those in custody.

“When a young person enters the system, it is important we do everything we can to prevent them from falling into a life of crime.

“This remand centre is geared towards stopping the cycle of offending.

“The location was strategically chosen near the two existing detention centres at Wacol to ensure those young people on remand have access to important education, health care and rehabilitation services.

“Only Labor will deliver the prevention, intervention and detention capacity that Queensland needs to tackle the complex causes of youth crime.

“Queenslanders cannot trust the LNP to keep Queensland safe, and can’t risk an LNP government come October.”

Quotes attributable to Youth Justice Minister, Di Farmer:

“Community Safety will always come first for the Queensland Government,” Ms Farmer said.

“Where a court has determined that a young person needs to be in detention, we have the services and plans in place to keep the community safe.”

ENDS