Residents put case against Wiri jail bid

South Auckland residents have said no to a jail despite job opportunities. File photo / NZ Herald

South Auckland residents have rejected the case for a men's prison - despite a Corrections' sweetener of jobs at the jail and a chance to provide goods and services.

And the department is under pressure to set up a fund to handle social effects.

A board of inquiry has heard reaction to the department's bid for planning permission for the 1060-bunk prison at Wiri. Combined with the 464-inmate Auckland Regional Women's Prison, it will form the largest corrections facility in New Zealand and employ 1900 people.

Wrapping up the case for Manukau Vision, lawyer Sue Simons said the board must conclude the proposal would bring a high risk of social harm. Significant effects include:

The presence of released prisoners and their families and associates in the community.

Effects of increased demands on existing social services that are at or beyond capacity.

Negative effects on social image and community aspirations.

Ms Simons said the only offer of consultation from Corrections was to write a condition into the consent to form a social impact advisory group of lay and professional people.

But this would be the first and last line of defence against all problems.

If problems continued, a prison would not be closed once it had been contracted for 25 years to a private consortium to operate.

Ms Simons said the Wiri site was chosen for no other reason than it suited the business case for the private operation, which needed a large prison in a large centre.

Auckland Council and Manurewa Local Board lawyer Melinda Dickey said the advisory group lacked teeth because Corrections could refuse to take any step that the group recommended.

Conditions of consent should oblige Corrections to take positive action.

A further condition sought by the council and social impact analysts was for Corrections to pay a sum of money to be available to mitigate social effects of the prison.

But Corrections says it is wary of creating a "slush fund" for anyone to dip into for any purpose, and the board was examining if it would be lawful.

Ms Dickey said the council and the local board firmly opposed the prison given the lack of information about its design and operation and how social effects could be relieved.