26 September 2024
The Law Society of Western Australia cautiously welcomed today’s unexpected announcement but said the State Government’s timeline for the closure of Unit 18 remained obscure.
“The allocated funding is for design planning only and the chosen site still needs State and Federal environmental approvals, so any new facility is a long way off,” Law Society President Paula Wilkinson said.
“We have joined with voices, including the Human Rights Commission of Australia, in calling for Unit 18 to be closed immediately but the framework for this new facility doesn’t offer any optimism of that happening any time soon,” Ms Wilkinson said.
“Long-term, it all sounds promising but the issue is the length of time it will take to be up and running. Also, the children at the new facility will have access to the same facilities as Banksia Hill which have proven to be inadequate.
“In the meantime, children are still being held in dire conditions at Unit 18, with no government solutions for how their care will be addressed in the short term,” Ms Wilkinson said.
The Law Society would continue to advocate for an independent review of the youth justice system in Western Australia.
Inquiries: Deb Kennedy – dkennedy@lawsocietywa.asn.au
