“With more than 10,000 people held in 57 gaols across the State at a yearly cost of $75,000 per prisoner, NSW is spending more than $1 billion annually on its prison system.

“BOCSAR’s analysis suggests that a 10% decrease in the number of NSW prisoners returning to gaol would result in savings of more than $28 million each year.

“A 10% reduction in the State’s prison population is not impossible if programs to prevent re-offending are adequately funded and resourced. The entire community would reap enormous benefits if prisoners had ready access to literacy, vocational and health services while in gaol, and drug treatment, jobs, and housing assistance when released.

“It is in nobody’s interests, other than private prison operators, to keep our prisons full. Almost all prisoners return to the community one day. Equipping prisoners for that return is a far more economically and socially rational approach than not providing services and simply hoping prisoners will not re-offend. The reality is that 64% of prisoners will do so.

“Each year, more people in NSW return to gaol than enter it for the first time.

“Building ever more gaols to lock up ever more people is not the answer. It’s time to redirect funding from building new prisons to programs that will keep people out of gaol or prevent their returning to gaol,” said Ms Hale.

“Within weeks of the Government announcing its withdrawal from the ill-conceived Metro project at enormous cost to the taxpayer, it is rushing into a project which is bedevilled by a similar lack of consultation and transparency.

“The process of planning for Barangaroo has been out of control since the announcement of the winner of the international architecture competition in April 2006. Since then former Labor Prime Minister Paul Keating has campaigned vociferously for a project that has departed from the design rules of the competition.

“It is only now becoming clear that the Lend Lease plan will result in a significant loss of public space, particularly along the harbour foreshore, and a massive increase in the height and density of buildings.

“It appears that only one street in the seven hectare proposal will be public, and that the rest of the area will be owned by Lend Lease. This is a dangerous loss of the public domain and undemocratic in its operation.

“The Government’s signing off on the project before even the extremely limited public consultation process has been completed and before detailed plans and drawings are available, sends a strong message that it is contemptuous of the community’s views. 

“The plan announced last week by Lend Lease has little detail, and similarly there is no advice from Government on what will be in the contract.

“There is no clear plan for the area outside the land promised to Lend Lease, and no costing for the restoration of the ‘natural’ foreshore. Who will pay the cost of remediation of gas-contaminated land or for the demolition of the existing sea walls? Where is the affordable housing that the design competition required?

“We have already seen the Labor Government preside over projects whose costs have blown out and where the public good has been sacrificed to private interests. Barangaroo must not be another of those projects.

“Premier Keneally has said this is a vital project for the future of Sydney, and The Greens agree. But Barangaroo must not simply be a place to shop. It must be a more creative space that engages fully with what we as Sydneysiders want to do.

“To be truly different and to add vitality to our city, Barangaroo’s public spaces and recreation areas must be generous, as must provide public access to the harbour and its entire foreshore. The Lend Lease/Keating plan simply takes public land and turns it to private benefit, and that’s not good enough.

“It’s time that the Government subscribed to a principle underlying the Sydney Regional Environmental Plan (Sydney Harbour Catchment) 2005, that: The public good has precedence over the private good whenever and whatever change is proposed for Sydney Harbour or its foreshores’, concluded Ms Hale.

“The Minister also brushed aside detailed questions I asked about the incident. http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/lc/qalc.nsf/18101dc36b638302ca257146007ee41a/3b989d854e1307b0ca25766a002b19eb?OpenDocument A full six months after Mr Holcroft’s death, the position of the Department and the new Minister is unchanged.

“It is simply not good enough to wait for the Coroner’s report when significant facts about the incident are already known.

 “Corrective Services officers have told me that the Department has removed its prisoner transport policy from the staff intranet. So, rather than giving greater direction and support to officers engaged in this important responsible task, CS management appears to be taking an even more cavalier approach to the health and safety of prisoners.

“Minister Costa must step in and direct the Corrective Services Commissioner Ron Woodham to urgently review all procedures relating to the transport of prisoners in NSW.

“If, as the former Minister Robertson asserted last year that ‘on any given day we have the equivalent of one full jail of inmates on the road’, it is imperative that the Government and the Department move urgently to ensure this appalling situation is not repeated.

“It is not good enough to hide behind a Coroner’s report that has yet to be written and do nothing. The Government and the Department are clearly doing nothing on this issue and playing on public perceptions that somehow prisoners deserve this.

“Mr Holcroft had done the wrong thing, but he was sentenced to seven months, not death.

“This shocking incident is only the most recent in a spate of entirely avoidable deaths of inmates in New South Wales’ prisons in recent years.

“Aboriginal woman Veronica Baxter died when in remand in the male section at Silverwater prison in March last year. Neither the Government nor the Department has indicated that any review of procedures has been undertaken to ensure that Departmental guidelines that should have protected Ms Baxter are reviewed. http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LC20090901054

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LC20090617024

“It’s time Corrective Services management  and Commissioner Ron Woodham are held accountable for the welfare of prisoners under their control,” said Ms Hale.

Further information: Colin Hesse on 9230 3030 or 0401 719 124

The following questions by Sylvia Hale, Greens MP and spokesperson for Corrective Services were put to former Minister for Corrective Services Mr John Robertson last year.

Links are to the Parliamentary website and contain Mr Robertson’s answers.

Question without notice on the death of Mark Holcroft

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LC20091124028

Question without notice on prison transport

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LC20091029030

Questions on notice about the death of Mark Holcroft

 http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/lc/qalc.nsf/18101dc36b638302ca257146007ee41a/3b989d854e1307b0ca25766a002b19eb?OpenDocument

Question without notice on the death in custody of Veronnica Baxter

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LC20090617024

Follow up question on the death of Veronnica Baxter

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LC20090901054

Sylvia Hale media release on death of Mark Holcroft from November 2010

http://sylviahale.org.au/news/yet-another-death-in-custody-nsw-joins-wa-in-scandalous-contempt-for-prisoner-welfare

Related issues

Cuts to prison transport service

http://sylviahale.org.au/news/budget-cuts-mean-prisoners-and

http://sylviahale.org.au/news/prison-officers-prisoners-and-community-lose-lose-lose

Cuts to prisoner services

http://sylviahale.org.au/news/if-you-can2019t-run-it-close-it-no-matter-the-cost

High rate of recidivism

http://sylviahale.org.au/news/government2019s-costly-failure-recidivism-nation2019s-highest

Riot at Long Bay

http://sylviahale.org.au/news/riot-a-sign-of-things-to-come

“The Hacking River is the major river flowing through the iconic National Park which is greatly loved by the people of Sydney and the Illawarra.

“As far back as 1990 the National Parks and Wildlife Service declared that  ‘the Upper Hacking River catchment contains valuable plant and animal communities which are not adequately conserved,’ and that, ‘ideally the Service would like to add all these lands to the Park system.’

“There will be real anger in the community at the Government’s approval of an LEP that allows greater development on lands previously recommended for the highest level of environmental protection,” said Ms Hale.

“Planning Minister Kelly’s media release mentions neither the Minister for the Illawarra and Member for Heathcote, Paul McLeay, nor the Member for Keira, David Campbell. In the past, both have indicated their support for protecting the sensitive lands that link the Royal National Park and the Illawarra escarpment. They’re aware of the deep community disquiet over a process which saw the original draft LEP changed after the public consultation process had closed from E2, high level environmental protection, to E3, a zoning that permits significant development.

“With this new State-Government-approved LEP the gate has opened to a major increase in development in the Helensburgh and Otford area.

“The decision is characteristic of a Government that is disdainful of and out of touch with local communities.

“Residents are not the only ones outraged. The following groups have all expressed their dismay at the LEP’s removal of protections for such a sensitive environment: Otford Protection Society, Stanwell Tops Residents Awareness Association, Helensburgh and District Historical Society, Helensburgh and District Landcare, Northern Illawarra Residents Action Group, Illawarra Escarpment Coalition, Illawarra Greens, Sutherland Greens, National Parks Association of NSW, Total Environment Centre, Colong Foundation for Wilderness, The Wilderness Society, Nature Conservation Council of NSW.

Further information: Colin Hesse on 9230 3030 or 0401 719 124

“A resident contacted my office today in desperation.

“She and her neighbours have tried everything to get a serious water leak fixed.

“The water is coming from a pipe somewhere near the block of Housing NSW units on Cox Crescent. The Council was contacted and investigated. It found that the pipe was within the Housing NSW land and asked that it be fixed.

“That was in November 2008. But the pipe is still leaking.

“Since then, residents of Cox Crescent have again contacted the Council, Housing NSW, Sydney Water, the Department of Environment and Climate Change, and the Minister of Housing’s office – all to no avail.

“I commend the residents for all their efforts.  It’s obviously very frustrating for them that no-one is taking any action.

“Water is pouring into the gutter and creating puddles. When the drain near the reserve becomes blocked, which I understand it does because of leaves, the constantly flowing water pools in the gutter. It’s unsafe and slippery. The residents are pulling the leaves out of the drain to prevent puddles forming.

 “I am told the water is flowing rapidly from the leak. This can only mean that many thousands of litres of water are being lost every day. In these water-wise times, that is just pure waste and negligence.

“The Greens call on Housing NSW to repair the water pipes and fix the leak immediately. We know they are well aware of the problem.

“This is the second group of Housing NSW tenants who have contacted me about a water leak this summer.  Only after months and inaction did Housing NSW fix a water leak in Glebe.

“Where water is leaking, Housing NSW must take speedy action to ensure we conserve water and protect safety and property,” said Ms Hale.

Contact: Colin Hesse 02 9230 3030 or 0401719124

“With the withdrawal of this funding the NSW Government is reneging on its 2006/07 agreement with Federal arts funding body, The Australia Council, to support community based arts programs in NSW. The loss of funding from Arts NSW means the automatic loss of funding from The Australia Council.

“I understand Arts Minister Virginia Judge has refused invitations to meet with CCD NSW. I hope the Minister will meet with CCD NSW so that she may gain a genuine understanding of the role and important work CCD NSW plays in our community.

“Community Cultural Development NSW works with a range of stakeholders to advance social change through the arts, and in particular bring art practitioners together with the community to improve engagement in disadvantaged communities and with disadvantaged groups.

“ I understand that recently CCD NSW has been working with Juvenile Justice to involve artists who can bring less formal but practical arts programs that can assist in developing positive outcomes for young people in the juvenile justice system.

“CCD also links up and promotes sharing of artistic ideas such as community based interaction that involves people of the Sutherland Shire with those in the Bankstown area following the Cronulla riots through story telling and developing plays.

“It is important that arts funding engages everyone in the broader NSW community, and that it allows us to be not simply consumers but to be participants in creating our own culture.

“The culture of the past is important and relevant, but it is only renewed and invigorated by constant engagement with new generations and new voices.

“The long slow decline of funding of community cultural organisations will be close to complete with the end of funding to CCD NSW. With the end of that organisation, we may well see that a new generation of voices from Sydney’s suburbs, from our regional cities and towns and from non-European voices is stifled. That would truly be a great loss for our community, and for our ability to develop a cohesive society”, said Ms Hale.

 Further information: Colin Hesse on 9230 3030 or 0401 719 124

“When Justice David Lloyd ruled that a fair-minded observer could be forgiven for thinking that the former Planning Minister Frank Sartor might not have brought an impartial and unprejudiced mind to his decision to approve Catherine Hill Bay, he spoke for the people of NSW who are sick and tired of what appears to be the influence of political donors on the planning process.

“The announcement by Minister Kelly effectively overturns the Land and Environment Court ruling, which described the land swap deal in a Memorandum of Understanding between the developer and the government as a “land bribe”.

“Minister Kelly’s decision to remove all reference to the MoU makes a farce of the justice system.

“To eliminate references to the MoU and replace them with a ‘Voluntary Planning Agreement’ is to simply play with words while retaining the substance of the original ‘land bribe’.

 “The Huntlee and Catherine Hill Bay projects should be abandoned.

 “The original assessment that these two projects rated last and second last as suitable locations for re-development should stand.

The Government must focus on sustainable development located around important infrastructure such as railways and near existing population centres.

 “There is nothing to commend the re-writing of the Regional Strategy. The Government should  withdraw it and ensure future planning is based on a coherent social, environmental and economic model rather than being determined by vested interests and major ALP donors,” said Ms Hale.

 Further information: Colin Hesse on 9230 3030 or 0401 719 124

“The tragic death of Shannon Rankin may well have been avoided if independent inspectors employed by either State of Local Government had certified the work on the spa.

“Shannon Rankin’s is not an isolated case. Had qualified certifiers, independent of installers, inspected ceiling insulation, then four young workers may still be alive.

“In NSW, the State Government used the excuse of ‘cutting red tape’ and ‘speeding up approvals’ to do away with Council oversight of building work. In the process the regulation of asbestos removal was abandoned. It took the government 12 months to actually concede its error and empower Councils to act.

“The government has also done away with licensing elevator mechanics and providers of pre-purchase property inspections.

“As soon as you introduce the profit motive into regulation and let the market rip, then you reduce the standards that are there to protect us all, and it becomes a race to the bottom that leaves the public unprotected and exposed.

“If a private building certifier gains a reputation for strictly enforcing approvals and safety standards, then employers will look elsewhere for someone who is more susceptible to pressure.

“The Greens have opposed each and every privatisation of government monitoring services on the principle that public safety must come before profit. Whether it is lift mechanics, health inspectors, building inspectors, all these services are properly the role of government as the regulator.

“If the tragic loss of Shannon Rankin’s life is not to be in vain, then the State Government must end the contracting out of regulation and make a stand for safety,” said Ms Hale.

For further information: Colin Hesse on 9230 3030 or 0401 719 124

“Regrettably, we can expect even more law-and-order tub thumping by the Government and Opposition in the lead up to the 2011 State elections.

“It is very timely that judges, academics and lawyers, who daily see the effects of the State’s punitive bail and sentencing policies, speak out publicly to call for a reconsideration of where the State’s criminal justice system is heading.

“Imprisonment rates in NSW are manifestly excessive and higher than the Australian average.

“On narrow budgetary grounds alone, spending more than $1 billion a year on keeping 10,000 people in 57 correctional centres across the State does not make sense.

 “The costs of warehousing people in prisons are so great that there is almost no money left over for programs that help people stay out of jail.

“The State’s harsh bail laws mean that even innocent people who are subsequently found to be not guilty of an offence may spend months in jail, and lose their jobs and even their families in the process.

“There is ample evidence that the majority of prisoners have mental health or drug and alcohol problems. Locking them up is probably the most self-defeating approach imaginable.

“It’s time to call a halt to the law-and-order auction and for the public, prisoners, and legal experts to engage in a reasoned, cool-headed discussion of the way forward for the criminal justice system,” said Ms Hale.

“Of these 78,301 jobs, 13,013 construction jobs and 10,671 operational jobs resulted from approval of concept plans, that is, a total of 23,640 jobs.

“But concept plans in themselves do not result in any jobs for anyone other than those who draw the plans up. Before one brick can be laid or one operational job activated, concepts plans, which provide only a broad overview of a project, are translated into project applications, which, if approved, may then lead to the creation of construction and operational jobs.

“A concept plan may cover any number of staged developments, each of which requires a development application. To add the number of jobs resulting from approval of a concept plan to the number of jobs resulting from approval of a specific application would be a deliberate sleight of hand designed to inflate the figures, in this case by just under a third.

“I call upon the Minister to produce the detailed documentation to show he has not double counted. 

“Although the Minister refers to approvals by the Department of Planning, what he does not reveal is whether the figures have been further inflated by the inclusion of projects such as Sweetwater/Huntlee and Catherine Hill Bay whose approvals have been overturned by the Land and Environment Court.

“And, of course, the tightening credit market may also result in many projects never seeing the light of day even though they have been approved.

“The Minister, moreover, completely ignores widespread unhappiness about Part 3A decisions and the way Part 3A and concept plans have been used to trample over community concerns.

“Minister Kelly and the Government are desperate to put the best gloss possible on the State’s planning system, but until the malign influence of developer donations on planning decisions is removed, the public will rightly remain cynical about the government’s motivations and its statistics,” concluded Ms Hale.

 Further information: Colin Hesse on 9230 3030 or 0401 719 124