Minister for Counter Terrorism and Corrections Anthony Roberts has announced he is currently in negotiations with Tronox Mining to repurpose the retired Ivanhoe correctional facility and the negotiations are progressing positively.

Tronox Mining is considering using the former correctional centre as a housing base for workers employed in its newly established Atlas Campaspe mineral-sands mining operation nearby which will also create employment opportunities in catering, cleaning, laundry, maintenance, and administration.

Minister Roberts has also announced the future of the retired Brewarrina Correctional Centre has been secured, bringing new investment to the Barwon region.

Ownership of the site at Brewarrina will be jointly transferred to the Local Aboriginal Land Council and the Brewarrina Shire Council, with the latter leasing its portion to Orana Haven enabling it for use as a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility.

“This is a great result for the people of Barwon, bringing much-need jobs and investment to a drought-impacted region,” Mr. Roberts said.

“It’s also a win for residents because the transferring of the Brewarrina site ensures it is preserved entirely for community use for the next 15 years.

“The outcome is the result of detailed consultation between Property NSW, the Brewarrina Community, Brewarrina Shire Council, NSW Aboriginal Land Council, the Brewarrina Local Aboriginal Land Council, and Orana Haven Aboriginal Corporation.

“I thank each of these entities for their remarkable cooperation to bring this opportunity to fruition.”

Member for Barwon Roy Butler MP said the outcome has been a concentrated effort.

“I thank Minister Roberts for listening to my calls to repurpose these facilities so the economic activity in Brewarrina and Ivanhoe can be maintained, or indeed expanded,” Mr. Butler said.
“Both projects will provide significant benefits to the Barwon region and I’m very pleased with the result we have been able to achieve; these projects will herald a new era for the towns.”

Source: Roy Butler MP

The Brewarrina Yetta Dhinnakkal Centre, an unconventional prison that’s was opened in 2000 to address Aboriginal prison rates was closed in mid 2020. The facility was considered very successful and was the first of its kind built to concentrate on young Aboriginal men.
The facilities close was greeted with much anger by the community and a search for repurposing it has been underway since its closure.
The announcement by Roy Butler that Minister Roberts has secured ownership of the site at Brewarrina to be jointly transferred to the Local Aboriginal Land Council and the Brewarrina Shire Council, with the latter leasing its portion to Orana Haven enabling it for use as a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility.