Premier gives prison job guarantee but no assurance on upgrade

But during a visit to the city on Wednesday, January 31 to the $700 million Make a Move campaign, Mr Minns did not directly answer questions on whether the government planned to upgrade or replace two maximum security wings for future accommodation. Corrective Services is planning to shift the remaining 110 inmates from them to more modern facilities in NSW.

"Absolutely there is a future for Goulburn Correctional Centre, certainly for Supermax" he said.

"...I want to give a guarantee that anyone who is currently employed at Goulburn Correctional Centre will continue to have a job at Goulburn Correctional Centre and that no one in Corrections NSW will be laid off or forced to relocate anywhere else in the state.

"We need Corrections officers, particularly in regional NSW."

Mr Minns said the shift was about ensuring prisoners were housed in the "most hi-tech facilities around the state" and that both inmates and officers were safe.

Public Service Association president, Nicole Jess, said 78 positions would be affected across two phases, the first to be implemented in February. She said while 20 would be absorbed into existing vacancies, it was unclear how the remainder would be employed within the facility.

She previously told The Post that the PSA had not been given answers about the Goulburn maximum security wings' long-term future.

Mr Minns rejected suggestions it was "inevitable" that jobs would be lost, given the inmate relocation.

"No, because there are major correctional services in Goulburn and there are more than 200 employees (at the jail)," he said.

"We'll be speaking to the union and ensuring they know that anyone employed at that centre will continue to be employed there. If they want to pursue other opportunities across the prison network, we are open to that but it's at the discretion of either the employee or the union."

Ms Jess said there were no other areas within Corrections in Goulburn that jail staff could work. Community Corrections required people to be assessed as suitable for employment in that area. The inmate transport division employs 15 people.

Mr Minns said he was not only speaking to a union representative but also the community about the issue. He said he was meeting with Goulburn Mulwaree Council on Wednesday, January 31 to discuss several matters, as well as attending a community round table.

Asked why the corrections minister, Anoulack Chanthivong, had not met with the PSA about its concerns, as the union claimed, Mr Minns said he'd be surprised if this hadn't occurred.

"I'm sure the Minister has many meetings with the union," he said.

However Ms Jess said Mr Chanthivong had not met with the PSA, despite written requests. The Post has requested comment from his office.

"But it's good that the Premier is taking more of an interest than the minister," she said.

Ms Jess was buoyed that employees had undertaken "meaningful consultation" with management at the centre over the past few days. The PSA is requesting a week's extension for staff to consider relocation opportunities.

The union is advising against transfer, saying there are no relocation packages on offer.

Meantime, Goulburn MP Wendy Tuckerman said questions about the jail's future hadn't been answered.

"If prisoners are not going to be put into those wings, what will happen to the jobs? If those areas are not meeting (accommodation) standards, is the government going to rebuild or refit them," she said

"It's heritage listed so it's a difficult build and I think it will need real dollars to find a solution to that."

Mrs Tuckerman said the Premier could not visit Goulburn "spruiking" regional workforce incentives when 78 jail positions were uncertain. She wanted a guarantee of no job losses.