Curtin move 'a sign more boats expected'

Preliminary plans to expand the Curtin Detention Centre in Western Australia's far
north are proof the government is expecting more boats, the coalition says.
The plans from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship show, under a proposed
expansion, a second camp at Curtin would include about 84 bunk houses.
In an area of the detention centre site yet to be cleared, about 66 bunk houses
would be constructed, the plans show.
A football and cricket ground, library, general store and hairdressers are also
included in the plans, which were obtained by the coalition from a "whistleblower".
About 560 single Afghan males are currently being housed at the detention centre,
which was reopened in June after years of being mothballed.
The coalition says the preliminary plans indicate the site will be expanded to house
up to 3000 asylum seekers, despite there not being any figures relating to detainees
shown on the plans.
Deputy Liberal Leader Julie Bishop said "that's what we've been told".
Ms Bishop said on Thursday the existence of the plans demonstrated that the
government was expecting further boat arrivals, particularly of Afghans, whose
claims for refugee status are still under suspension.
"They expect more arrivals from Afghanistan and they are clearly not anticipating
(they) will do anything to dismantle the people smuggling trade," she said in Perth.
"Prime Minister Julia Gillard is not being straight with the Australian people."
Ms Gillard has said any suggestion the centre will be expanded to cater for that
many is "simply not true" and there were "no secret plans".
"No work is planned at Curtin other than the work which is underway now and which
has already been publicly disclosed, publicly released and talked about," she told
ABC Radio on Wednesday.
An immigration spokesman has confirmed the plans were commissioned by the department
but the government had made no decision on further expansion.
The spokesman said there was no suggestion 3000 asylum seekers would be housed at
Curtin, which would be more than the current population of the Christmas Island
Detention Centre.
Furthermore he said the plans were only preliminary and not for construction purposes.
Ms Bishop said no matter how the plans were labelled, it was an indication the
government was considering a "massive" expansion.
"It doesn't matter if this is labelled preliminary or final, there's a plan to
expand the Curtin detention centre and the government must be asked question about
this," she said.
"They must be held to account."



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