By Deanne Jeffers
DHURRINGILE Prison is on the brink of closure, with its final days fast approaching. The ramifications of this decision are far-reaching, affecting local businesses and the nearly-200 staff members who find themselves grappling with an uncertain future. The abrupt announcement in June has left many reeling, with frustration and anxiety running high among the affected employees.
The Adviser has spoken with several staff members who have requested anonymity due to fears of repercussions. One veteran employee, who has dedicated decades to the prison, expressed shock at the closure, noting that even upper management was caught off guard.
“The staff feel devastated and dejected, really flat since learning it would shut,” they shared. “Some will have to leave the region, but there are a lot of older staff who are settled here and now face the difficult choice of relocating and uprooting their children from school or seeking new employment close to retirement age. Who is going to employ them?”
Responding to questions from The Adviser, a Department of Justice and Community Safety spokesperson confirmed that as of June 3, 2024, there were 189 people employed at Dhurringile, including subcontracted healthcare staff and some people in casual and fixed term roles.
The spokesperson said, “We thank our staff at Dhurringile for the vital work they do every day in keeping people in custody and the community safe. They will be supported during this transition and be provided opportunities to take up new roles.”
While modest compensation packages and relocation opportunities to other facilities in Geelong and Ararat have been offered, they do little to alleviate the distress of having only two months to reorganise their lives.
“The last four to five weeks have been a head spin,” a staff member said. “Port Phillip prison is also closing, but staff there have 18 months to make other arrangements.” They pointed out that Port Phillip Prison’s proximity to the new Western Plains Prison and other sites makes its closure less disruptive than the one affecting Dhurringile’s 189 staff members.
“Unfortunately, we don’t make these decisions; people in Melbourne do,” they lamented. “What really disappoints me, and many others, is that politicians aren’t doing enough… they’re not calling out what happened, just that they need to find a new use for the site.”
“Some people have worked here for 50 years, some couples both work here and have both lost their jobs, some young people have moved here to start a life and have only recently finished their pre-service training at Dhurringile. They’ve bought houses and cars and started to settle here, and now it is all gone.”
“Western Plains was built and has sat empty for years but fully staffed. The Minister hasn’t come to the region to hear us or understand the impact this will have on us. He stood out the front of the shiny new prison to make the announcement we would lose our jobs.”
The overwhelming sentiment among the staff is one of frustration and hurt, as prisoners are relocated to other facilities, but none to the new Western Plains Prison. Many staff members only learned of the closure through the media when the news broke in June, with the prison set to close in August.
Beyond the loss of local jobs, the closure’s impact ripples through the community, affecting local businesses and industries. Adviser journalist Aaron Cordy spoke with Jac McCarty, owner of Everyday Supplies in Shepparton, who voiced her concerns.
“It was an income for us, a locked away standard order, which we then used the profit from to put back into the community. So, any smaller clubs who approached us for funding and assistance for donations and charitable things, that’s where the money would come from. So that impacts what we can put back into the community.”
“For us, we are really disappointed with the fact that it impacts the community because it’s such a small community.”
“I’m disappointed for the Goulburn Valley, I’m disappointed for Dhurringile and Tatura because they are losing families who are going to have to move, the schools are losing kids and they’re small schools. Then Tatura, where these people were spending their money, well they won’t be spending their money there anymore because they’re leaving. We’ll be fine. We just need to work harder to make up the business, but I’m really worried about the community.”
A staff member remarked on the challenges local businesses that supplied tools, equipment, food, and more to the prison, which is also a working farm, will face in compensating for the lost business. The future of the site remains uncertain for staff still reeling from this “top secret” decision.
“There are massive amounts of infrastructure out there that is going to go to waste, but there are also 350 beds that could be used to house people in any capacity.”
At the time of writing, The Adviser has been informed that only around 50 inmates remain at Dhurringile and will be relocated in the coming days. Some staff will be retained to assist with decommissioning the site, a process expected to take three months. Others will be deployed to other Victorian prison sites or will be searching for new jobs in the region or further afield. They will have only a week from August 1 to decide whether to take compensation packages or relocate.
The Department of Justice and Community spokesperson said the Government will determine the future use of the site in consultation with the community and that career support services are available to staff, including career planning advice, support with job applications and that eligible employees will receive relocation assistance, “including transport costs, removal costs, storage of items, family support, bond money, costs associated with the sale and acquisition of a residence, rental assistance and more.”
The overwhelming sentiment amongst these staff members is one of shock as they wrestle with the reality of the prison closing, and planning for a future no one saw coming.
