A disused former Northern Territory youth detention centre is set to be razed, with a tender released today for the demolition of the building.
The 2017 Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the NT, found the former Don Dale Youth Detention Centre on Tivendale Road in Berrimah – which has been vacant since 2014 – was no longer fit-for-purpose.
Demolition is anticipated to commence in July.
Options for the future use of the site are currently under consideration.
“Today’s tender release is following through on our commitment to demolish this building and move forward with our new model of delivering youth justice,” said Minister for Territory Families, Ngaree Ah Kit.
“Our Government accepted the recommendation of the Royal Commission that the original youth detention facility was not fit for accommodating young people; and we acted.”
The facility will be repurposed as an interim correctional facility when the new Darwin Youth Justice Centre, which is under construction, becomes operational in the coming months.
“We relocated the youth to a refurbished facility as an interim measure while we designed and constructed a purpose-built centre to meet the therapeutic and rehabilitative needs of young people. This will open in the coming months,” the Minister said.
Detained youth are currently housed at a separate facility in Darwin which operates under the same name.
