Northern prison delay dividing the community, says Westbury Residents Against the Prison

The comments, from Westbury Residents Against the Prison vice president Linda Poulton, after Attorney-General Elise Archer announced the government would likely submit a development application for the prison later this year.

Ms Archer said the due diligence process was ongoing with more drilling to be carried out on the site.

She said the government had decided that the best way forward was to submit a Particular Purpose Zone development application to the Meander Valley council.

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Yesterday the Attorney-General, Elise Archer, announced that the government was still in the process of doing its due diligence on the new prison site near Westbury.

Ms Poulton said it was no surprise that the government was behind schedule. She said the process was taking a toil on the community that was difficult to bear.

"We are really disappointed that it is taking so long and I think it shows a degree of ineptitude that it is lagging behind so much," Ms Poulton said.

"It is nearly 18 months since the announcement and Westbury is still going through this doubt and has got this cloud over it as to whether it is going to happen.

"It is dividing the community."

Grace Rock, the administrator of a pro-Northern Regional Prison page on Facebook, said that as long as progress was being made she was happy.

She said she understood that the government had to follow all the correct procedures but that it had been a long time and people wanted to see things happen.

An environmental consultant is currently undertaking a natural values assessment at the government's preferred site.

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