A development assessment panel has given the state government the green light to build a $42 million health precinct at a maximum security prison.
A development assessment panel has given the state government the green light to build a $42 million health precinct at a maximum security prison.
The Metro Outer Joint Development Assessment Panel members unanimously approved the Department of Finance's plan to expand Casuarina prison with a new health precinct, including specialised accommodation for inmates who are disabled, mentally ill, infirmed or geriatric, at its meeting today.
The health precinct includes an assisted care unit with 39 beds, a crisis care unit with eight new beds and seven refurbished, a mental health unit with 36 beds, and a health assessment and treatment unit with 36 refurbished beds.
In addition to the health precinct, the $42.758 million proposal also includes a new key room and building elevation for the existing gatehouse.
JDAP members spent only about five minutes contemplating the application, with specialist member Jason Hick saying it was a "fairly easy one" to support.
"I support the motion that had been moved ... it is a relatively straightforward matter in my opinion and consistent with the planning framework," he said.
Detailed floor plans for the proposed health precinct were not included in the public JDAP document, with a report prepared by the Western Australian Planning Commission saying the plans were provided to panel members only due to security reasons.
A render of the proposed refurbishments of the gatehouse, which is the most publicly visible building at the site, was the only design made available to the public.
The responsible authority report prepared by the WAPC said the proposed buildings in the health precinct were predominantly single storey, about 10 metres in height, with the assisted care building being 12 metres tall.
“The prison currently has 1782 beds and associated facilities; however, there is an identified need to increase custodial accommodation to address the projected prisoner population increases across WA,” the report said.
Advice from ATCO gas to have further consultation was included in the report as the site falls within the trigger distance for high-pressure gas pipeline infrastructure.
The proposed expansion is expected to cover 172.7-hectare within the prison's grounds.
Casuarina prison, the principal maximum-security facility for male prisoners in the state, had undergone expansion in recent years.
Additional living units and extension to the car parking area were approved by the JDAP in 2018 while new living units with an additional 344 beds were approved in 2021.
