Chris Peterson, Melbourne
On August 7, 150 people attended the launch of a campaign to stop the building of the proposed immigration detention centre in the northern Melbourne suburb of Broadmeadows. The protest was organised by the local Hume City Council.
The immigration department is conducting research as to what would be involved to establish a detention centre in Broadmeadows, if this project is approved in the 2007 federal budget. The department is also having the land transferred from the defence department in anticipation of building the $120 million centre.
According to Hume City mayor Kevin Sheahan, "the centre would have electric fences like Baxter, it would house people who have overstayed their visa and those sorts of things".
However, the federal government has claimed that it has not yet decided on the location of the centre.
The council was particularly incensed at the lack of community consultation about the proposal. Said Sheahan, "it's been very difficult to get information, we ask questions they won't answer. The council took the initiative of establishing this day today as a step in the process to get the community together and make them aware of the proposal."
The council also refused to meet officials from the immigration department earlier in the year.
The meeting was addressed by John Rutherford of the Broadmeadows Progress Association, who said: "Detention centres do not solve problems, but create them."
On August 10, the Star News Group website reported that a survey of 350 residents found 80% objected to a detention centre in Broadmeadows.
The council plans to hold future events in order to keep residents informed and give people the opportunity to express their point of view.
From Green Left Weekly, August 17, 2005.
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