A new prison in Northern Tasmania would bring hundreds of jobs, but could leave its neighbours living in fear. The Tasmanian Government has released a draft social impact assessment as part of its plans to build the Northern Correctional Facility (NCF) at the site of the existing Ashley Youth Detention Centre. This said the prison would bring the equivalent of between 250 and 370 full-time jobs to Deloraine when up and running, along with a $289 million economy boost. However, it also said neighbours would likely suffer more anxiety and fear of increased crime levels due to living near the maximum-security prison. The report said demand on local mental health services needed to be monitored, and services increased if need be. The report reviewed new prisons in Queensland and New South Wales, and found crime rates did not increase after prisons were built. Community consultation found 50 per cent of residents were opposed to having the NCF at the chosen site, 43 per cent supported the idea and seven per cent were against having the prison at any location. The report suggests building the NCF at Deloraine would improve outcomes for inmates. A prison in the region would allow them to see their families more often - which the report links to lower re-offending rates - and access support services closer to home. More than half of the population at the Risdon Prison Complex came from the North and North-West, and the report said inmates were cut off from relatives due to the distance. The report said if the project did not go ahead and the youth detention centre closed as planned, 74 full-time jobs would be lost and demand on the local fire service would be reduced. This outcome was also expected to ease the stress and anxiety for neighbouring property owners who would no longer live near a prison, but that could be replaced with "uncertainty" from the unknown future use. Meander Valley Council mayor Wayne Johnston said the project would have more than just social impacts, and building a new prison would require transport and infrastructure upgrades through the area. Cr Johnston called for respectful discussion about the future prison, as the project had already proved divisive. "The report confirms that opinions in the Meander Valley community about the proposed Northern Correctional Facility are divided and that some neighbouring property owners of the current Ashley Youth Detention Centre property are almost unanimously opposed to the project," he said. "The council is calling for discussion in the community, both for and against the project, to be conducted in a respectful manner." Corrections Minister Madeleine Ogilvie said the Tasmanian Government was "committed to ensuring that all stakeholders", particularly those in Meander Valley, had their say. The draft report can be viewed on the Department of Justice website, and submissions can be made by emailing northerncorrectionalfacility@justice.tas.gov.au.
