Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The member for Mayo’s motion is full of common sense, and sadly it is required, as the Labor government continues to make ill-conceived decisions which show their lack of concern for the welfare of communities and for people within Australia. Their lack of planning and consultation can be shown in the latest announcement of a detention centre at Inverbrackie in South Australia. Concerned community residents have formed a group called the Woodside Community Action Group and they were here earlier today. They are worried about the severe ramifications that this centre will have on this community unless serious action is taken. Community groups in the area are calling the government sneaky and untrusting and the groups believe the government are not capable of thinking through the consequences that could affect the fabric of the community.

On 18 October 2010, the Prime Minister and the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship announced a $9.7 million detention facility which would accommodate 400 people, consisting of family groups who are undergoing refugee status assessment. But the government did not consult with the community around the proposed detention centre when making their plans. Neither did they consult the state government of South Australia or the Adelaide Hills Council. The Prime Minister did not even mention the plan when she visited the Adelaide Hills on Sunday, 17 October, the very day before the announcement was made. The government only consulted the Department of Defence.

The government’s lack of concern for the community was shown in a radio interview with the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen, on Friday, 22 October 2010. When he was asked whether the final decision had been made and if the community was now expected to simply accept the plans, Mr Bowen answered:

… we’ve made a decision that this is an appropriate site. We’re more than happy to sit down with the local community and sort through their concerns but we’re implementing the decision that’s been made.

The minister went on to confirm that the government did not have concern for the community with the following statement:

I understand people’s concerns but at the end of the day this is of course a Commonwealth responsibility to make sure that people are accommodated. It’s Commonwealth land and it’s land which is very suitable for this purpose.

In other words, the land belongs to the government and they will do whatever they like with it without concern for those living in the area or the local governments in place.

Where is the detailed plan for this centre? It has been announced that detainees will be low-risk clients who were assessed for their suitability for placement while on Christmas Island and other places, but it does not give any other details. What ages will they be? All the government have said is that families will arrive. What will be the impact on local health services, education, recreation, transport, police and other community services? There are no concrete answers to these questions, which shows a lack of planning by the government. The government do not even have a plan for the duration of the facility’s usage. It has been said that Inverbrackie is intended to be a medium- to long-term facility but that detention facilities are always driven by the number of people who need to be detained.

Has the government thought through any of these questions or are they simply doing what they want to do because it suits them? A further inquiry by the Joint Standing Committee on Migration should be undertaken as a matter of priority for a government which has clearly failed to gain community support, come up with a detailed plan and fully assess the issues and concerns of the community involved.

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