Project News | Brisbane Youth Detention Centre (BYDC), Additional Capacity
The $27 million expansion will provide safe and secure accommodation for an additional 16 young people, as well as four classrooms and teaching areas. As such, the centre is now well placed to deliver rehabilitation and education services in a safe environment.
Forming part of the Queensland Government’s half a billion-dollar investment in the state’s youth justice system, the development is designed to provide a balanced approach to protecting the Queensland community while improving the life prospects of young people.
After the project announcement by the Premier in April 2019, FACTION was appointed as the project manager and tasked with delivering the project from concept design to completion by end of April 2020.
QBuild and FACTION combined to manage the construction and put in a phenomenal team effort to adapt and overcome challenges, all the while achieving this impactful outcome within the tight 12-month timeframe.
Despite uncertainty from COVID-19, QBuild, FACTION, site supervisors, and union representatives worked together to ensure compliance with social distancing rules. Adjustments were made to site works, with restrictions on the numbers on workers on the site and distribution of work hours across the weekends.
Minister for Child Safety, Youth and Women, Di Farmer, said:
“This expansion will provide safe and secure accommodation, as well as support services for young people remanded or sentenced to youth detention, increasing the state’s capacity to 274 beds.”
Congratulations to the whole FACTION team, led by Scott Birgan and David Lansdell, and with the fantastic support of Conor O’Sullivan, John O’Sullivan, Rose Fowler, Eva Jouvencon, Rodney Small and Jacky Zeng. Thank you and well done also to our partners at QBuild.
Construction of the new 32-bed youth detention centre at Wacol continues with FACTION Consulting also providing project management services. Once complete, it will further increase statewide capacity to 306 beds.