Hon Damien O’Connor
Minister of Corrections
Minister of Tourism
Minister for Rural Affairs
Associate Minister of Health

10 May 2007 Media Statement

New Otago Corrections Facility opens

Otago Corrections Facility is purpose-built to rehabilitate prisoners, Corrections Minister Damien O'Connor says.

Mr O'Connor accompanied Prime Minister Helen Clark, who officially opened the 335-bed prison at Milburn, south Otago, today.

The $218 million facility is the third of four regional prisons being built by the Labour-led government to add more than 1600 beds to the country's prison capacity. It incorporates design features that are intended to be highly effective in terms of security and rehabilitation, Mr O'Connor said.

The fourth regional prison at Spring Hill in Waikato is due to receive its first prisoners in November 2007.

"This prison is a world-class facility. It is designed to do two things: keep the community safe and help reduce re-offending by providing prisoners with every opportunity to rehabilitate themselves."

The prison will have 220 staff and is due to start receiving prisoners in June.

It was built on time and on budget, which is a significant achievement considering skill shortages in the construction industry, escalating material costs, and the prison's relatively remote site, Mr O'Connor said. It was originally due to house 220 prisoners.

"But today is no cause for celebration. While prisons are a necessary part of any society, our ultimate goal must be to reduce the need to build more. That's why the four regional facilities are specifically built so that prisoners will undertake work, training and rehabilitation courses.

"In Otago, this includes prisoners operating a 400-head dairy farm on the site, which will give them the skills to eventually help fill the region's dairying skill shortage."

Mr O'Connor thanked the Otago community, Te Runanga o Otakou, the prime contractors, subcontractors and the Corrections Department for seeing the construction stage of the project through to completion.

"The facility is one of Otago’s largest construction projects and one of the region’s largest employers.

"Corrections has had a great local response to our recruitment campaign for the new facility and wants to be a good neighbour and a good employer for the region.”

ENDS

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