PRISON SITE OPPONENTS CELEBRATE

THE rain won’t stop Westbury prison opponents from gathering at the town’s Village Green on Wednesday night to celebrate their campaign efforts against the state government’s preferred Northern Regional Prison site announced a year ago.

On September 30 last year, Corrections Minister Eli se Archer surprised Westbury residents when she announced the town had been selected from 10 expression of interest proposals.

Westbury Residents Against the Prison formed to fight the decision, with protest sand threatening legal and political action.

The preferred site–an industrial precinct at the town’ s edge– was abandoned in June and a new site was selected 5km further from town at Brushy Rivulet. But, after gauging community sentiment, WRAP vowed to continue to oppose the development in the area.

A new opposition group formed of Brushy Rivulet residents under the name Concerned Residents Opposed to the Westbury Prison Site (CROWPS).

WRAP president Linda Pou lton said that Wednesday night’ s candlelight vigil would be a celebration, but there would also be mixed feelings.

She said members held“very similar concerns” to those about the original site, such as impacts on tourism, image, the local economy and environmental.

“We have been having members meetings, fundraising, writing consistently to stakeholders and trying to liaise with (CROW PS) and( environmentalist) Sarah Lloyd and filing right to information applications ,” she said.

Ms Poulton said the tone would be one of“happiness that we’ve survived and we’re still here and fighting and pride that we’ ve moved( the prison) off the first site. It’s more of a celebration than anything else .”