Nonpartisan political forums. Political blogs. International news.

Christmas Island Shire President, Gordon Thompson, says residents are also worried about the effects the controversial detention centre development will have on the island's tourism industry. "We're not building tourism based on a prison tour," he said, also voicing fears that residents would be barred from areas on the northwest point of the island. Another resident complained that access to popular fishing and snorkelling spots on the island would be limited.

A Department of Immigration spokesman told The Australian newspaper that when construction of the Christmas Island facility was finished, a review was likely to be taken to close some mainland detention centres such as Baxter in South Australia. "Its (Christmas Island) only use is as an immigration reception and processing centre," he said.

Mr Thompson, who is opposed to the imprisonment of refugees, said the centre was being built on the island in an effort to avoid public scrutiny from mainland Australians. "It's a long way from the mainland where the lawyers and trouble-makers are," he said. "We'll be kept away from it."

A resident of eight years, two as shire president, Mr Thompson said he did not trust the federal Government because it ignored the concerns of the 1500-strong community. "There's a sense the commonwealth will do what it wants," he said. "You've got to be a little suspicious of a government that lets its own people be held in Guantanamo Bay, like David Hicks. People here have that feeling that when something big is being built away from the media -- it's not fishy, it's smelly."

Mr Thomson said the Shire council had not been notified the current Christmas Island detention centre had been reopened to detain the recent arrival of 7 West Timorese asylum seekers.

Azmi Yon, president of the island's Malay association, has lived for 37 years on the island and wants the federal Government to leave it alone. He said locals were confused and did not know if the centre would just be used for refugees or as a Guantanamo-style prison. "We need something from them in black and white to say what it is," he said. "Tell us something, don't keep us in the dark."

Mr Yon spent last Wednesday afternoon entertaining one of several newly arrived Indonesian detainees. The detainee, his wife and his infant children are allowed to live in the community under the Government's new detainment laws. But their three companions will remain the sole inhabitants of the current Christmas Island detention centre - reopened for the seven from Indonesian West Timor on November 17.

Mr Yon said the island, was home to a harmonious group of Chinese, Malays and Europeans who respected each other's cultures. "Why disturb an isolated and unique environment when you can (build the centre) somewhere else," he said.

Refugee advocates, Democrats and Greens senators said the recent West Timorese asylum seekers had been "shunted" to the remote facility at a massive cost, raising more doubts about the Howard Government's promise not to detain children.

Democrats senator Andrew Bartlett, who visited the Vietnamese asylum seekers in December last year, has also expressed concern that children are again being kept in detention despite a government promise it would be a last resort.

Australian Greens Senator Kerry Nettle says the Government should suspend the construction of the Christmas Island detention centre and review the necessity of the facility. "At a time when the Government claims to be reforming its immigration detention system, it is increasing its capacity to lock people up," Senator Nettle said. "After the recent scandals and abuses, the public want alternatives to detention, but the Government insists on building more empty prisons."

According to Immigration Department figures provided at the November 2005 Senate Estimates:

• The current immigration detention centres - Baxter, Villawood, Maribyrnong, Perth, Port Augusta and the existing Christmas Island facility, already have a capacity to hold 1,688 people and they have contingency places for 667 more people, bringing the total capacity to 2,355.

• Port Hedland has a capacity to hold 820 people and is costing $3 million a year to be ready to reopen.

• The infamous Woomera Detention Centre holds 800 and costs $2.6 million to keep mothballed.

Environmental Concerns

There has also been environmental concerns about the development. The detention centre site is adjacent to prime "Abbotts booby" habitat, in the north-west corner of the island, and is surrounded by the Christmas Island National Park.

Endangered Abbott's Boobies nest in tall rainforest trees immediately to the north, south and south-east of the site, and their proximity puts the species at the mercy of turbulence generated by the passage of wind across the clearing.

The National Park encloses the entire range of at least 35 endemic species, more than any other Australian protected area. It is part of the network of habitats of migratory species that Australia must protect under international agreements such as the Japan-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (JAMBA) and the China-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (CAMBA).

The Wilderness Society have said, "There are several serious environmental concerns with the selection of this site, not least of which was the selection process itself, the Howard government's self-exemption from environmental scrutiny normally required under the EPBC Act, and its commitment to best practice environmental measures during construction of the detention centre."

Research has shown that Abbott's Boobies nesting within 300 m of clearings experience significantly lower breeding success than birds nesting further away. At last count, 36% of breeding sites across the island were located within this 300 m danger zone.

The centre, under construction since January this year, is not due to be operational until late 2006.

Related Wikinews

"Christmas Island detention centre reopened". Wikinews, November 22, 2005

Sources

• "'Guantanamo' comes to Australia". News Limited, November 28, 2005
  
• "'Guantanamo Bay' comes to remote Aussie island". The Australian, November 28, 2005
  
• Senator Kerry Nettle "Government must come clean on plans for Christmas Island". The Greens, November 28, 2005
  
• "Christmas Island National Park". Department of the Environment and Heritage
  
• Senator Andrew Bartlett "Christmas Island Detention Centre". Australian Democrats, July, 2005
  
• Senator Nick Minchin "Main Works Contract Awarded for Christmas Island IRPC". Minister for Finance and Administration, January 4, 2005
  
• "Detention Centres on Christmas Island". The Wilderness Society, August, 2002