Palmer Progress Fact Sheet
Immigration detention infrastructure improvements
This fact sheet is also available in PDF format.
See: Detention facility infrastructure improvements (217KB PDF file)
Over the past 12 months the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs has made substantial improvements to its detention facilities, particularly at Baxter Immigration Detention Facility (IDF) where the improvements have gone well beyond the recommendations of the Palmer Report.
In May 2006, the Minister opened a new visitor reception centre at Baxter and new sporting facilities which included a floodlit sports oval. Upgrades at Baxter also included kitchen and barbecue facilities and improved landscaping.
Upgrades are also occurring at Sydney, Melbourne, Darwin and Perth immigration detention facilities. Planning started in July 2006 to build immigration transit accommodation centres in Melbourne and Brisbane to provide short-stay accommodation for low-risk detainees pending their transfer to a detention facility, removal from Australia or the granting of a visa.
Residential housing accommodation is being built in Perth and is expected to be ready by December 2006. Residential housing accommodation is already being used in Sydney and Port Augusta.
Razor wire has been removed at the following facilities:
- Villawood IDF - removed 4 October 2005
- Northern IDF - removed 29 October 2005
- Maribyrnong IDF - 45 per cent removed November 2005 with the remainder scheduled for removal by December 2006
- Port Hedland (contingency facility) removed 20 December 2005
- Perth IDF - scheduled for removal by November 2007
- Note: Baxter IDF has never had razor wire
Work on the northern compound of the Northern Immigration Detention Facility at Darwin has been completed and an upgrade of the southern compound is underway. On completion, the facility will have the capacity to hold 612 illegal foreign fishers.
More information is available.
See: Palmer Progress Update: September 2006