Detention costs fail to add up

Letter to the Editor - Sunday Territorian
19 August 2006

Dear Sir/Madam

Your report (Detaining your taxes, 13/08/06) that Darwin's detention facility will cost $21 million to refurbish is factually incorrect. The total cost of the refurbishment is $13.7 million.

The Northern Immigration Detention Facility has two compounds: North and South compounds.

In 2004, the Government approved the upgrade of the North compound. This upgrade cost $8 million and the centre became operational on August 11.

Also in 2006, the Government approved upgrading of the South compound. The works in this compound are estimated to cost $5.7 million and are expected to be completed by late 2007.

Unless the arithmetic is different in Darwin, these two amounts total $13.7 million and not $21 million as reported.

Yours sincerely

Sandi Logan
National Communications Manager
Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs