Melton council will push for local residents to be employed during the construction and operation of a new corrections centre at Ravenhall.
Last Tuesday, councillors said they supported the state government’s plans for the new medium-security prison, to be built next to the Metropolitan Remand Centre in Truganina.
The Weekly reported in September Premier Denis Napthine’s announcement that the new prison, flagged in the 2012-13 state budget, would be expanded from a 500- to a 1000-bed facility.
Council planning manager Bob Baggio said the prison would create more than 650 jobs during construction and another 600 positions once operational.
In April last year, then-Melton mayor Justin Mammarella slammed the government for funding a new prison instead of transport and health projects.
