Media Release: Government Must Heed Calls for Urgent Ashley Action Taskforce

Government Must Heed Calls for Urgent Ashley Action Taskforce

22 May 2024

Independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb said the recent call from the Children’s Commissioner for an immediate taskforce to reduce the number of children at Ashley Youth Detention Centre is a damning indictment on the Rockliff Liberal Government.

“It’s time to call it out.  This government is deliberately rejecting a key Commission of Inquiry recommendation to urgently close AYDC,” Ms Webb said.

“Rather than prioritise interim steps to remove as many children as possible from that unsafe, inappropriate facility, we see deliberate policies championed by government which drive up the numbers of incarcerated children to levels unseen for many, many years.  

“We are seeing a government choose to demonise young Tasmanians for electoral advantage with misguided tough-on-crime initiatives, while dragging its feet for over eight months to act on the Commission of Inquiry’s recommendation.

“For eight months this government has ignored the call to work with the community sector to get kids out of AYDC and into safer and more effective community-based care arrangements.

“Since September last year, the community services sector, led by TasCOSS, has actively offered alternative interim models to take children out of AYDC into evidence-based, secure accommodation in the community.

“The Liberal government’s failure to seize the opportunity to work with specialist services to put in place such interim measures, and instead leave children in an understaffed facility in which they are subjected to regular isolation and remain at active risk of abuse, according to the Commission of Inquiry, can only be considered a case of gross negligence and dereliction of duty of care.

“Quite frankly, the most recent call by the Children’s Commissioner for an urgent taskforce is a modest one.  If the Minister once again ignores this call, that will confirm for many that this government chooses to leave vulnerable children at risk, and ultimately, the Tasmanian community less safe,” Ms Webb said.