Detention centres in Australia were used to imprison refugees in
inhumane conditions for years without charge or conviction. They are
ready to be filled up again now with our pending anti-terror laws. The
laws are going through with only 1 day allowed for a senate inquiry.

Third Reich redux.

[This is the print version of story
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200511/s1495674.htm]

*Last Update:* Wednesday, November 2, 2005. 8:44am (AEDT)

Govt under fire over mothballed detention centre cost

Refugee advocates have criticised the Immigration Department after
revelations that millions of dollars are being spent to maintain the
mothballed-Woomera detention centre in northern South Australia.

The facility closed in April 2003 and a Senate estimates committee has
heard its upkeep is costing the Government $2.6 million each year.

Rural Australians for Refugees spokesman John Highfield says it is a
gross waste of money.

"There's just seemingly an endless pile of money that the Department
of Immigration has to spend on useless projects," he said.

"They tell us no more boat people are coming, they tell us that
they've released all the children and most of the families from
detention into the community and yet they're wasting these extravagant
amounts of money on mothballing facilities, which are more than likely
never to be used."

Hedland opposition

The Mayor of Port Hedland in Western Australia says the town's
mothballed immigration detention centre is an eyesore that should be
bulldozed to make room for housing.

The facility was closed last year, but the Immigration Department says

it is costing taxpayers $3 million a year to maintain.

Mayor Stan Martin says the centre sits right next to a residential
area and its presence is holding up development.

He thinks the money would be better spent getting rid of it.

"It's not the kind of thing that you'd really want in the middle of a
residential area with houses and a day care [centre] in close
proximity," he said.

"It's certainly not located in an ideal area in the middle of a
residential, and we could certainly do with the land for residential.

"There's a really big shortage of residential land up in the north-
west at the moment."

Nauru

Meanwhile, 25 asylum seekers arrived in Melbourne overnight after
spending four years on the island of Nauru.

The Federal Government recently announced they would be allowed in to
Australia.

They were sent to Nauru as part of the Howard Government's Pacific
Solution in 2001.

Refugee status has now been granted to 13 of the 25, with 12 still to
have their futures determined.

Refugee advocate Marion Le says the two people left on Nauru may also
have their cases reassessed.

The Federal Government says they have not passed security clearances.

"It may well be that this is just an interim decision and that ASIO
may revise it and I have been told that that could be the case, that
if there is new information that comes to light that that will be
assessed as well," she said.

Ms Le says she is happy the Pacific Solution is ending.

"To them it's the end of a terrible phase in their lives and they're
now looking to the future and it's a future that's still clouded in
mystery for them," she said.

"It's the unknown, so there's a lot of things to cope with when they
first arrive."

© 2005 Australian Broadcasting Corporation