Pontville Shambles: the 6 months is yet to begin and we don’t know when it will end

24/05/11

Confusion reigns supreme over Labor’s proposed Pontville Detention Centre highlighting it was a panicked decision by a Government losing control of our borders.

Under questioning by Tasmanian Liberal Senators Eric Abetz and Guy Barnett at today’s Senate Estimates it was revealed.

-       Labor’s promise of only 6 months for the detention centre has neither a projected beginning nor an end.

-       The plans have not been formally approved as yet.

-       Tenders have not been called.

-       Building will take up to 8 to 10 weeks after the tenders are accepted.

-       Liaison with Defence over heritage issues only commenced after Labor’s band-aid announcement had been made.

-       And – Aboriginal heritage was not even considered, which will add further delays, if the Brighton bypass is any indicator.

Tasmanians were told by Minister Bowen that Pontville “ticked the boxes”. We would hate to see a project that didn’t tick the boxes however it seems that, with Pontville, rather than ‘ticking the boxes’, Labor has ‘boxed’ itself in.

Even the belated Community consultation has not got off the ground as yet, with terms of reference for the group still to be communicated.

All these delays and bungles are at odds with Minister Bowen’s statement to the ABC radio on 5 April. “…Pontville was one where we had existing infrastructure. We had the accommodation there…Its one that we can get up and running fairly quickly and one that we can do so for a lesser cost than we were looking at elsewhere….this is a centre which we’re going to open in the meantime because its there ready to go.

Today’s evidence is also at odds with the statement of an immigration spokesman (Sunday Examiner 22 May) that the development was “expected to begin the six-week build before the end of the month”. It is also at odds with the Department’s own website which states the facility “will be operational after April 2011, contingent on the availability of local contractors”.

This is Government at its shambolic worst. A quick fix media release that was meant to sound good at the time is now unravelling fast.

Labor should stop the farce and the waste. Pontville is turning into Labor’s home grown version of the East Timor solution.