Corrections to create new centralised community hub
THE Department of Corrections is to centralise its four Dunedin offices into the former temporary court house in High St, and has called for tenders to do a major refurbishment of the building.
Corrections southern region operations director Glenn Morrison expected the new Community Corrections Dunedin Hub to be completed in early 2021.
‘‘We’ve currently got four separate sites spread over Dunedin. We’ve got one office in South Dunedin, a community work site in South Dunedin, and we’ve also got two offices in Moray Pl.
‘‘The new hub will reflect a modern and new approach to working in community corrections and will provide a onestopshop for people in our care in the community.’’
Mr Morrison said it would house all of Dunedin’s probation officers, community corrections staff, the programme and practice teams, the district psychologists, finance, property and technology and some regional staff.
‘‘With all services in one location, we will be able to deliver a better, more seamless service.
‘‘The site will incorporate new technology solutions which will allow the team to be more flexible in their work, work more effectively across teams and be more responsive to the needs of local people on sentence in the community.
‘‘Increased and more flexible programme and community spaces will enable our staff and community partners to deliver rehabilitation, life skills and other support programmes to the people we manage on sentences and orders.’’
He said the department’s partnering agencies would also be able to work from the building.
‘‘We’re joined up with other agencies like Oranga Tamariki, the police and other nonvoluntary organisations that we work with, with regards to alcohol and drugs, and violence programmes.’’
The new site would incorporate technology and design features that offer improved privacy, safety and security systems for staff and visitors, he said.
‘‘What we build today needs to be both robust and flexible to allow for future changes to the demands and needs for our services, and the way in which those services are delivered.’’
At present, the building in High St is still laid out for use as a court house, so it would have to have a major refit to make it fit for its new purpose.
Mr Morrison was not yet able to say how much the project would cost, but said it would be ‘‘a significant rebuild’’.
‘‘Obviously the courts worked a different way, so we’re going in there and making it a purposefit building for our own service.’’
It was hoped work on the building would start in March or April next year.
The tender process is under way and applications close today.