Page 5896 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 8 December 2010

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(a) the incidents of violence and security breaches at Bimberi Youth Detention Centre;

(b) the staff shortages and high turnover of staff; and

(2) expresses its concern for the safety and security of residents and staff at Bimberi Youth Detention Centre; and

(3) calls on the Executive to:

(a) appoint a board of inquiry, in accordance with the Inquiries Act 1991, to inquire and report, by 30 June 2011, into the operation of the Bimberi Youth Detention Centre including:

(i) staff levels, training and retention;

(ii) security;

(iii) programs for training and rehabilitation; and

(iv) any other matters; and

(b) relieve the Minister for Children and Young People of responsibility for youth justice services for the duration of the inquiry.

The motion I am proposing today to establish an inquiry into the Bimberi Youth Justice Centre under the Inquiries Act is an extremely grave step. We in the Canberra Liberals believe that this is a step which is above politics.

I am moving this motion in the Assembly because we have a moral duty—a moral duty—to guarantee the safety and security of some of the most vulnerable and most at risk in our community and those who care for them, the residents and staff of the Bimberi Youth Justice Centre.

As we know, Mr Speaker, Bimberi Youth Justice Centre accepted its first intake of residents in early 2009. According to the DHCS website, Bimberi:

… provides a state of the art youth detention facility which is the first in Australia to comply with the Human Rights requirements, as well as being designed to meet Human Rights standards.

Yet, Mr Speaker, in its short history Bimberi has been riddled with a wide range of problems and very concerning actual and potential outcomes for both the staff and the residents. There are chronic shortages of staff with staff feeling overworked and unsafe because of the lack of backup and support. This has led to a high staff turnover.

Staff shortages have led to frequent lockdowns with residents locked in their rooms for long periods of time. Staff shortages have been so chronic that the government has had to engage a private security firm to supply security personnel who are not properly trained in the supervision of young residents in a youth detention centre and the security of a youth detention facility.

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