FED:Tasmania centre is prudent - Bowen

AAP General News (Australia)
04-05-2011
FED:Tasmania centre is prudent - Bowen

Federal immigration minister CHRIS BOWEN has defended the opening of a new detention
centre in Tasmania as prudent .. saying it's not a sign the government's asylum seeker
policy has failed.

Mr BOWEN has announced a new asylum seeker detention facility at Pontville .. about
30 kilometres outside Hobart .. today.

It will house up to 400 single adult men and is only temporary as work to finish two
new detention centres at Wickham point in the Northern Territory and Northam in WA continues.

The Pontville center will undergo a 15 million dollar upgrade and will initially house
250 people when it opens in May.

It's expected to stay open for six months.

AAP RTV eb/klm/sw/

KEYWORD: DETENTION BOWEN (SYDNEY)

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