Lara land acquisitions

THE State Government has started negotiations with Lara homeowners about land acquisitions as it moves ahead with plans to expand the town’s prison precinct.

A letter sent to Lara residents last week revealed the Department of Justice and Regulation had contacted a “small number” of landowners in the immediate vicinity of the prison. But the department has refused to go into detail about how many landowners have been contacted or how much land is required for the project, citing confidentiality reasons.

It follows an announcement in January to significantly expand the precinct in response to swelling prison populations.

“The department is cur- rently exploring options to purchase land within the vicinity of the existing prison precinct at Lara, and has commenced discussions with a small number of neighbouring landholders to gauge their interest in selling land to the State,” a department spokeswoman said.

“As land negotiations are a private matter, we are not in a position to disclose further in- formation at this stage. However, once a site is identified, the department will ensure the community is kept informed and engaged in the planning and construction process.”

At the time of the initial announcement, Corrections Minister Gayle Tierney said the expansion would be roughly double the size of the existing Barwon Prison.

No timeline has been set for the works and the Government has not revealed how much it will cost, instead telling Victorians to wait for the state Budget.

In January, Township of Lara Care Group president Barry White said residents were concerned that there had not been enough consultation about the project.

“I’m most concerned that we haven’t been advised about it, given the size,” he said. “We need to know more about it.

“We are trying to protect the character of Lara, which is becoming known basically as a prison centre. “That isn’t good.” The State Government has claimed the project will create hundreds of ongoing local jobs.

To register for project updates, send an email to prisonexpansion@justice.vic.gov.au