A medium-security prison being built in Ravenhall will be expanded to cope with the state’s rising prisoner numbers but won’t open for another four years.
On Tuesday, Premier Denis Napthine announced that the new prison, flagged in the 2012-13 state budget, would be expanded from 500 to 1000 beds.
The prison would be built next to the Metropolitan Remand Centre in Truganina.
Corrections Minister Edward O’Donohue said existing prisons were under significant pressure and the government was providing extra beds while Ravenhall prison was being built.
Dr Napthine said the prison would be among the largest correctional facilities in the country.
“Over the past two decades there has been significant growth in the Victorian population and, therefore, prisoner numbers. To meet this growth we are investing in more beds and planning for the future,” he said.
The government said the prison’s expansion would boost local employment opportunities. It’s expected that 650 new jobs will be created during the construction phase, with another 600 people employed once the prison is open.
Opposition corrections spokeswoman and Altona MP Jill Hennessy urged the government to improve the parole system instead of building a new prison.
She said the western suburbs needed investment in schools, roads and hospital beds, not a third corrections centre.
The government hasn’t revealed how much the new prison will cost but is seeking expressions of interest from construction businesses.
Work is expected to begin in 2015.
