The Pontville Immigration Detention Centre, on the outskirts of Brighton, is reopening, Premier Lara Giddings announced today.
FEDERAL Immigration Minister Chris Bowen has listened to the pleas of Tasmanians and reopened the Pontville detention centre, north of Hobart.
Work on reactivating the centre -- to house single, male asylum seekers early in the new year -- will begin immediately.
The news was roundly applauded by local residents as well as political and business leaders yesterday.
Premier Lara Giddings said the reopening of the centre was a positive move for the rights of asylum seekers and for jobs and the local economy.
Despite previously saying the centre would not be reopened, Mr Bowen revealed the change of heart yesterday as he outlined a new policy whereby those who arrived after August 13 will be transferred around the country.
He said because of the number of people who had arrived by boat since August 13, it would not be possible to transfer them all to Nauru or Manus Island soon.
"Some of these people will be processed in the Australian community," Mr Bowen said.
The move came as the Government toughened its policies, declaring that all asylum seekers who arrive in Australia by boat will be denied permanent protection visas for as long as five years even if they are found to be genuine refugees and regardless of whether their claims are processed in Australia, Nauru or Manus.
The Australian Greens, refugee advocates and human rights groups say the Government has effectively resurrected the Howard government's much-maligned Temporary Protection Visas.
Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said the announcements were "an admission of failure" by the Government.
Ms Giddings said the arrival of asylum seekers was well received by the community when the centre first opened.
"Ideally we would not want to see asylum seekers kept behind barbed wire, but it is a credit to staff, including many locals, that this centre developed a strong reputation for humanitarian treatment after only a short period of time," she said.
"The facility brought significant economic and social benefits to the state when it opened late last year, creating the equivalent of about 230 full-time jobs. It also provided flow-on benefits for local businesses in the Brighton area."
Ms Giddings acknowledged the efforts of Brighton Mayor Tony Foster in lobbying to have the centre reopened, and the volunteers at the Tasmanian Asylum Seeker Support Network who had helped make asylum seekers feel welcome.
Federal Community Services Minister Julie Collins said Labor MPs and senators had lobbied for the reopening.
Mr Bowen said he had been heavily lobbied by Ms Giddings and Cr Foster to reactivate the centre.
"It makes sense to recommission the Pontville centre at this time," he said.
Tasmanian Liberal senator Eric Abetz, who has previously raised concerns about the cost of running the centre, was ill yesterday and unavailable for comment.
Figures obtained by Mr Abetz show the Federal Government spent $45 million on housing asylum seekers at Pontville for just six months.
Originally budgeted at $15 million and opened four months behind schedule, the centre was closed in March this year.
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