Queensland Corrective Services (QCS) can confirm the Department has safely evacuated the low security Palen Creek Correctional Centre today due to the effects of nearby bushfires on the Queensland and New South Wales border in the Mount Barney National Park.
The decision to evacuate was made on the basis of advice from the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES), the Queensland Police Service (QPS) and local Disaster Management Groups, due to the potential threat posed by the fires in the area.
QCS successfully relocated 133 low security male prisoners and officers at the centre, with the prisoners transferring to the Borallon Training and Correctional Centre near Ipswich, while the threat continues to be assessed.
As a working farm, the centre's cattle were moved to a safer area of the property with access to feed and water.
A small number of our officers remain at the centre to monitor the situation alongside the QFES.
The evacuation will be in place until the conditions improve and authorities advise QCS it is safe to return prisoners and officers to the facility.
QCS undertook the evacuation, swiftly, using QCS officers to safely transfer the prisoners to Borallon, while ensuring no drain on disaster response resources.
QCS has ensured prisoner's families are kept informed during the process.
Related Posts:
-
50 Shades of Grey(hound) - the finishing post Hi guys. Liam the Greyhound from Palen Creek Correctional Centre here. I've got some big news. Massive. This is my last blogpost - I've found my fur-ever family, and am leaving Palen Creek. I am excited and nervous all at the same time. As much as I can't wait to settle in as a family member, I'm going to miss… -
The Maryborough Correctional Centre assistance… Where can you find people who are in one place all day, with time to learn a new set of skills? The answer became clear to US-based charity Smart Pups: In prisons. Smart Pups, which manages around 36 'pups' across various facilities in the United States, approached the Maryborough Correctional Centre (MCC) to propose a partnership between the charity and the facility. The Smart… -
Offering a helping hand to tree-bound koala rescues As a member of the Ipswich Koala Protection Society, Peter Luker, Supervisor at the Wolston Correctional Centre, dedicates his spare time to assisting injured and sick koalas. "To ensure we get the koalas to hospital as quickly as possible, we have enlisted the help of the Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre, where prisoners have made 'safe drop door traps'. Rescue efforts…
