Michelle Roberts

Michelle Roberts

Minister for Housing and Works; Indigenous Affairs; Heritage; Land Information

    Gallop Government welcomes new work camp

    4/02/2005 7:04 PM
     
    4/02/05

    The Gallop Government’s $83million prison expansion program took another major step forward today with the announcement of a new work camp to be based at Mt Morgans, near Laverton.

    Justice Minister Michelle Roberts welcomed the decision and said several Goldfields communities had previously requested a work camp and the Gallop Government was keen to see the region benefit from the successful initiative.

    “Prisoner work camps are an essential part of the Western Australian prison system,” Mrs Roberts said.

    “They enable valuable work to be undertaken by low-risk prisoners in the community that may not otherwise get done.”

    The Minister said the Mt Morgans work camp would be the first to use solar power because of its remote location.

    She said work camps contributed more than 75,000 hours of reparation to regional communities, worth more than $1million. So far, more than $4million worth of work had been carried out since the first work camp opened in 1998.

    The type of work carried out by the prisoners included environmental and tourism projects, heritage and other local government initiatives and disaster relief.

    “Work camps already operate successfully in Walpole and Pardelup in the South-West, Kellerberrin in the Wheatbelt, Millstream National Park in the Pilbara and near Derby and Wyndham in the Kimberley,” Mrs Roberts said.

    Mrs Roberts also praised local ALP member John Bowler and ALP candidate for Kalgoorlie James Donnelly for their efforts in securing the new work camp and other justice initiatives for the Goldfields region.

    “Both John and James have been actively involved in delivering more than $6million in extra resources for the entire Goldfields region,” she said.

    This includes:
    • a dedicated Repay WA Graffiti van;
    • the Intensive Supervision Program to target serious juvenile offending; and
    • a $5million upgrade program to Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison.
    “It is a credit to the efforts of both John and James and the hard work done by committed and dedicated people in the Goldfields community which has enabled these important justice initiatives to commence,” Mrs Roberts said.

    Minister's office: 9213 6600