New PPP prison, up to 1300 jobs for South Auckland

Corrections Minister Anne Tolley has today turned the sod for the new 960-bed men’s prison at Wiri in South Auckland.

Up to 1000 construction jobs and 300 long-term positions will be created, with the new facility scheduled to open in 2015 as part of a 25 year contract worth approximately $840 million.

The SecureFuture consortium of Fletcher Construction, Serco and Spotless Facility Services has been contracted to design, finance, build, operate and maintain the prison under a public-private partnership (PPP).

“This new prison will provide better rehabilitation services and deliver value for taxpayers,” says Mrs Tolley.

“The total contract represents a saving of $170 million for New Zealanders, with the PPP providing a 17 per cent reduction than if the prison was procured through conventional means.

“The robust demands of the contract will mean that SecureFuture has to perform ten per cent better than Corrections in reducing reoffending rates, as part of the Government’s overall target of reducing reoffending by 25 per cent by 2017.

“Around 1000 prisoners from Auckland are currently housed in facilities outside the city, and the new prison will give us the flexibility to address this, as well as providing beds in an area where there is high population growth and which is home to a growing number of offenders.

“I’m confident that SecureFuture will deliver a safe, secure modern prison along with the required success in rehabilitation rates, and that the whole prison network can benefit from its international experience.”