New 'world class' women's prison opened

A new women's prison, described by the Government as a world class facility designed to help inmates turn their lives around, opened in Auckland today.

The National Party said it was an outrageous waste of money with each bed costing more than the average price of a house in the city.

Prime Minister Helen Clark opened the Auckland Region Women's Corrections Facility, and Corrections Minister Damien O'Connor said it would be highly effective in terms of safety, security and rehabilitation.

"This is New Zealand's first purpose-built prison for women and is a world-class facility," he said.

"It is not gold plated. It is a functional facility that has been carefully designed to provide state-of-the-art security while giving prisoners every opportunity to rehabilitate themselves with the aim of reducing re-offending."

National's law and order spokesman, Simon Power, said it represented irresponsible use of taxpayers' money.

"In April 2003 it was originally estimated to cost $58.4 million, but the latest figure we have from the department, as at April 2006, was for a cost of $158 million," he said.

"That is outrageous, and means each bed has cost the taxpayer an incredible $552,450. That compares with the median house price in Auckland of $400,000."

- NZPA