Hon Ken Baston questions the Minister for Corrective Services regarding a proposal from the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation for a youth bail house in Kununurra, and the department's response to it. The Minister confirms awareness but cites existing service agreements as a barrier to further funding.

AnsweredQoN 155Legislative Council
Asked
13 March 2019
Portfolio
Corrective Services

QuestionView source ↗

KUNUNURRA YOUTH BAIL HOUSE
— RELOCATION
155. Hon KEN BASTON to the minister representing the
Minister for Corrective Services:
I refer to an article in The Kimberley
Echo dated 13 February 2019 regarding the relocation of the Kununurra youth
bail house.
(1) Was the
proposal put forward by the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation to the Premier in
July 2018, as mentioned in the article, forwarded to the Minister for
Corrective Services or anyone else in the Department of Justice?
(2) If yes to (1), when was the minister
informed of the MG proposal?
(3) If no to (1), why not?
(4) If yes to
(1), what work was done by the Department of Justice to explore the Miriuwung
Gajerrong proposal for providing youth bail services?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. The following information has been provided to me
by the Minister for Corrective Services.
(1) The
Department of Justice was first informed of the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation's
concept of a youth wellness centre in July 2018.
(2) The Minister
for Corrective Services was briefed on this concept by a representative of the
Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in October 2018.
(3) Not applicable.
(4) The tender
for youth justice services across the state was subject to 18 months of
consultation and collaboration with the non-government and community services
sectors across the state. The tender process was finalised in November 2016,
and service agreements across the state, including youth bail services based in
Kununurra, commenced on 1 January 2017 with a three-year funding management.
There has been one variation to the existing service agreement in Kununurra due
to a significant increase in bail house occupancy rates. As there is an
existing service agreement in Kununurra, the department is not in a position to
consider further funding youth justice bail services beyond the existing
service agreements.

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