Immigration and Multicultural Affairs
Detention facilities — new long term onshore detention strategy
| 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs | 12.0 | -1.7 | -36.6 | -85.3 |
| Department of Finance and Administration | - | - | 49.0 | 14.4 |
| Total | 12.0 | -1.7 | 12.4 | -70.9 |
| Related expense ($m) | ||||
| Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs | 2.1 | -3.6 | -14.5 | -14.0 |
The Government will rationalise Australia's onshore immigration detention network resulting in savings of $78.1 million over four years. The new long term onshore detention strategy includes suspending the use of the Baxter Immigration Detention Centre and the Port Augusta Residential Housing Centre by 1 July 2008, and not proceeding with planned new Immigration Detention Centres in Melbourne and Brisbane. It also includes the establishment of smaller, hostel-style immigration transit accommodation centres for short stay, low flight risk detainees in Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide and redevelopment of the Villawood, Maribyrnong, Perth and Darwin Immigration Detention Centres.
The Government will reduce the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs' funding by $141.6 million over four years to reflect the lower capital and operational costs of administering a smaller onshore detention network. This includes a reduction in expense funding of $29.9 million over four years.
The Government will provide an additional $63.5 million to the Department of Finance and Administration over two years from 2008-09 for the redevelopment of the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre.