The owners of a popular children's farmyard nursery have voiced their fears about the construction of a forensic secure mental health facility across the road. They fear ''escapees'' from the proposed Mugga Lane facility in Symonston will pose a danger to children at the site and to other near neighbours.
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The ACT government is moving ahead with plans to build the forensic unit on the old Quamby detention centre site, which a study identified as the most suitable location in 2010. The government has defended the selection of that location for construction of the ''missing link'' in the territory's mental health services. This week it opened applications to design the facility, which will house 15 medium-secure and 10 low-secure beds.
For years the territory's mental health advocates and criminal lawyers have called for the unit to be built after raising fears that people who should be in a secure mental health unit are languishing in custody. But Des and Sonia Owens, who own a cattle stud and farmyard nursery directly opposite the Mugga Lane site, say that selection of the location for the secure unit did not include consultation with nearby property owners.
Mr Owens said he was worried about the proximity of the forensic unit to the farm, which hosts children's parties and busloads of students on school tours.
Nearby neighbours also expressed fears when the site was identified in 2010 about patients at the secure unit ''attempting to escape''. ''We're talking about a huge number of students, busloads coming in [to the farm] at any one time and we think a forensic mental health unit across the road is not very good,'' Mr Owens said.
''People do leave these premises.
''As a family we will stay here but we will have to give very strong consideration with regards to bringing children onto the site.''
Chief Minister Katy Gallagher said there had been several letterbox drops about the proposal to landholders since the proposal was first announced in 2009. Ms Gallagher, who is also the Health Minister, said the government also held a public information session for neighbours in Symonston in March 2010.
''The secure mental health facility will be subject to a development application and local residents will have another opportunity to voice opinions on the proposal as part of this process,'' Ms Gallagher said.
However, Mr Owens said landholders did not receive the government's information brochures and the March community meeting was only called after the site had been announced. He believes neighbours should have been included in research conducted by consulting firm Purdon Associates that was used to choose the most appropriate site for the facility.
''The first we heard of it was when the Chief Minister went on ABC Radio to announce it,'' he said.
''We have a property directly opposite the proposed site at Quamby and we weren't even consulted. There was no consultation with us whatsoever.''
