Media Statements
Minister for Police, Corrective Services and Sport
The Honourable Judy Spence MP
Friday, March 07, 2008
Prisoners to help Mackay community rebuild after floods: Spence
Corrective Services Minister Judy Spence has announced, a team of low risk prisoners will arrive in Mackay on Monday, to help the local community rebuild, after floods devastated the city last month.
Ms Spence said the prisoners from the Darling Downs Correctional Centre will be sent to assist local authorities in the clean-up of public areas and to help get flood damaged infrastructure up and running.
"More than 4,000 homes were inundated during flooding, with around 400 now classed as uninhabitable, and thousands more requiring substantial repairs," Ms Spence said.
"The streets and yards of Mackay are also littered with debris, and many fences have been damaged.
"Our team of twelve low risk prisoners, supervised by two corrective services officers, will provide essential manpower for the local community.
"The work gang will assist in clearing debris from parks, gardens and sporting venues, removing rubbish, repairing fences and concre ting.
"Prisoners are assessed for their suitability to work in the community before being allowed to join a work camp crew. Prisoners with violent or sexual offending backgrounds are ineligible. There have been no significant breaches of security or behaviour by work camp prisoners in 15 years."
Member for Mackay, Tim Mulherin welcomed the support for his local community.
"The people of Mackay face an uphill battle to clean up and rebuild, and this work camp will provide essential assistance during this challenging time," Mr Mulherin said.
"There is unlimited work for the prisoners to do and I know the local authorities will be glad to have these extra workers to undertake manual labour."
Mayor of Mackay, Julie Boyd said: "Queensland Corrective Services is known for the great work that they do in helping regional Queensland communities recover following natural disasters."
"This is a great opportunity to gain manpower to help c lean up some of the public areas devastated by the recent flooding.
"I have heard of the great job they did in Innisfail following Cyclone Larry and encourage the Mackay community to embrace this State Government initiative."
Ms Spence said the prisoner work camp will be housed at the unused Narpi School grounds, located approximately 40 kilometres north of Mackay off the Bruce Highway.
"The Department of Corrective Services have worked hard to find an appropriate location for accommodating the work camp and I am pleased this property was available for our use," Ms Spence said.
"There are no properties in the immediate area and the prisoners will be entirely self-contained and self-sufficient so as not to place any strain on accommodation or emergency relief in the area.
"Queensland's prison work camp program has a long history of helping regional communities rebuild in the wake of devastating natural disasters, starting up in 1990 aft er the Charleville floods.
"The team of prisoners sent to Innisfail in the aftermath of Cyclone Larry in 2006 proved such an asset to the local community, a permanent work camp has now been established in the town."
Media Contact: 3239 6172
Last updated: 02 May 2008
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