3 February 2006

Corbell call in powers ago-go

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Well it looks like the new holiday resort correctional facility for Canberra’s ‘naughty folk’ will be built at the Hume site.

The interesting thing is that Mr Corbell chose to ruffle a few of his feather boas and have a crack at the Federal member Gary Nairn (who doesn’t appear to be alone in criticising the locality of the prison as Franky Pangello and Steve Whan (ALP State member) don’t like the idea of a prison next door either). No consistency apparent in Mr Corbell’s tantrum, but naturally he’s not concerned about those who do not vote in the ACT:

Federal Member for Eden-Monaro Gary Nairn should look at his own backyard instead of trying to score cheap political shots at the ACT Government over the prison site at Hume, ACT Planning Minister Simon Corbell said today.

“If the Hume site is such a bad location, according to Mr Nairn, why then is the site allowed by his own Government, through the National Capital Authority, as a suitable site for a prison under the National Capital Plan?” he said.

“If Mr Nairn is so outraged over the site for the jail why didn’t he take it up with the agency that his Government has responsibility for?

“On January 9, 2006 the NCA advised the ACT Government that the prison is consistent with the approved development control plan for the area subject to certain conditions. These conditions have been met.

“The Federal Government is responsible for the National Capital Plan and the prison must meet the requirements of a development control plan put in place by the NCA for this site because it is on a major approach route to the city.

“The ACT Government has met these requirements and this has been confirmed by the NCA.”

In addition, Mr Nairn’s so-called concerns about traffic lights on the Monaro Highway are also hollow, given that works approval for these traffic lights was given by the NCA itself, as this is land the agency has direct planning control over.

“Mr Nairn’s failure to raise these issues with the NCA beforehand demonstrates his shallow political posturing and hypocrisy on this issue,” Mr Corbell said.

With all the posturing going on after reading comments in yesterday’s Canberra Pravda I just couldn’t understand where Mr Corbell is receiving his advice from – he topped things off with the following advice to his Liberal and ALP brethren over the border to the effect that, “since announcements of the Hume jail site, house prices in Jerrabomberra had risen…I challenge anyone who has a concern to go and see whether they will be able to see the prison from where they live”.

If I were living at Jerrabomberra I’m sure if my vista included sweeping views of the ‘new resort’, I’d take great comfort in Mr Corbell’s advice that house prices in Jerrabomberra will continue to rise…amazing analysis!

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Vic Bitterman10:02 pm 03 Feb 06

I think most people think in terms of prisons being thing made of massive bluestone walls aka Pentridge or Goulburn.

Facts of the matter are that these days they don’t. Concrete, grey/white walls, flat, and that’s it.

I hope the new prison looks better than one in Victoria – Port Phillip Prison in Laverton, only built a few years ago. Massive grey monolith, albeit suurrounded by pleasant looking grass…. and cameras.

Aerial pic of it at http://www.audit.vic.gov.au/old/sr60/sr605c.jpg but it doesn’t convey how bleak that flat concrete walls look….

I hope the jerra resident’s at least get a nice looking prison to view from their balconies 🙂

I still think that placing the prison where it is going to go will actually increase the price of houses in Queanbeyan and Jerra. Plus they wont have to wlak to far to see their relations after they get pinged and placed in the clink for morbid stupdity.

remember these are the same people that bought houses under the airport flightpath and squealed when a recent airport runway extension was proposed.

happy to bludge off canberra, as long as it doesnt affect them.

the sooner we put toll roads between qbn and act the better.

Love your work big al. My sentiments exactly. The prison is in the ACT. Nothing to do with NSW. I’m not fond of my neighbours chooks, but they aren’t on my property.

Good on em. It’s about time our sponging brothers and sisters across the border got a taste of reality – Oh, sure its ok to get a nicely paid job in the ACT, send your kids to a good Government school in the ACT, go shopping in the ACT – so it sure as hell should be ok to shut up and stop whinging when the ACT Government chooses a satisfactory site for a prison that in all probability will also be used to house shit-bags from Queanbeyan in.

Frankly, who actually gives a rat’s arse what some dip-stick like Gary Nairn thinks about it anyway? Seriously – if this jail was to be built in Wodonga do you think that the Bracks Government would give a shit what NSW residents thought of the idea? All this carry on about using the “call in” powers to approve the development – its about time they were used more I say – if it saves us having to put up with the bleating NIMBY’s who perpetuate the disingenuous idea that just ‘cause you get consulted on something it should be used as an opportunity to make a scene and try and score political points – wankers the lot of them.

Not a great location…on a major tourist drive (Snowy traffic). Goulburn has the Big Marino and Coffs the Big Banana……..Canberra now has the BIG GAOL as a tourism attraction.

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