Minister for Corrective Services Mark Ryan said jobs, safety and security would receive a significant boost in the State Budget with more than $1 billion allocated to Queensland Corrective Services for 2021-22, an increase of $32.2 million on the last financial year.

Minister Ryan said $320 million would be invested in the Palaszczuk Government’s second biggest infrastructure project – the new, expanded 1,000-bed Southern Queensland Correctional Precinct near Gatton that will boost prison capacity across the State. The 2021-22 budget funding is part of a bigger, broader investment in the new facility.

“Stage Two of the Southern Queensland Correctional Precinct will transform the Lockyer Valley and deliver:

• More than 400 construction jobs over the life of the project and support up to 900 jobs at peak construction
• Over 500 permanent jobs when the new facility is operational

“The Palaszczuk Government is building the vital infrastructure and creating the jobs that make Queensland the best place to be.”

“With construction underway, this project is already delivering an economic boost to the region’s economy, supporting the jobs of hundreds of tradies and a large number of local businesses, such as office suppliers, hardware and electrical stores, caterers, supermarkets and waste management services, all keen to benefit from this major infrastructure project,” Mr Ryan said.

Stage Two of the Southern Queensland Correctional Precinct is on track for completion in 2023-24.

In other major infrastructure projects, the 2021-22 State Budget delivers $20.6 million to complete the expansion at the Capricornia Correctional Centre in Rockhampton with refurbishment of the medical centre, kitchen and prisoner processing facilities.

“Capacity will be further boosted with $8 million this financial year to install up to 500 additional bunk beds in high security correctional centres across Queensland,” Minister Ryan said.

Other budget measures include:

• $5 million to continue to upgrade the Woodford Correctional Centre intercoms
• $2.5 million to continue refurbishment of the Princess Alexandra Hospital Secure Unit
• $3.3 million to trial the use of electronic monitoring devices to manage serious recidivist young offenders on bail
• $2.4 million for business cases to examine and explore options to meet future capacity needs

“These initiatives are about enhancing safety and security across Queensland’s prison facilities and they couldn’t have come at a better time.

“Within a matter of weeks, the Southern Queensland Correctional Centre will revert from private to public ownership.

“This milestone means that all Queensland prison facilities will be publicly-owned and publicly-run for the first time in more than three decades,” Mr Ryan said.