We're building a new maximum security prison in the vicinity of the existing prison precinct which includes Barwon Prison and Marngoneet Correctional Centre.

Providing a new maximum security facility is an essential part of the government’s commitment to improving community safety.

Building within the existing prison precinct has been identified as a good option due to existing infrastructure such as road and public transport links and the proximity to local courts.

With significant recent population growth, the Western Victoria region is a location capable of providing for a workforce to build and service the new prison facility.

Project scope

The new prison will:

• accommodate 1248 prisoners
• play a key role in planning for increases in the prison population
• create hundreds of ongoing jobs
• support hundreds of indirect and direct jobs across the steel, manufacturing, construction, engineering and other sectors
• deliver an estimated economic benefit of more than $279 million to the Greater Geelong Region during the construction phase
• Construction started February 2020 with the facility expected to be completed in 2022. 
   

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During the design of the prison, the department will explore every option to reduce any visual impacts of the lighting.

For security and safety purposes, the secure perimeter of the prison is required to be illuminated from dusk until after dawn to allow for visual detection of movement and to facilitate the 24-hour operation of the prison.

The prison will use directional and adjustable LED lighting on the secure perimeter. This is generally the best measure to reduce light pollution and will also help achieve energy savings while maintaining appropriate safety and security.

Illumination of internal pathways and roads will be expected to be not more than the uniform 10 lux (about the same as a night-time urban street) to avoid light spill into prisoner areas and
accommodation.

Illumination of the secure perimeter will be adjustable. During the hours when the secure perimeter needs to be illuminated, lighting will be at reduced lux levels, switching to full lux levels immediately upon activation of the perimeter security system.

Car park lighting

The external car park and the entry areas will feature lighting to Australian standards. Light fittings will include pole, bollard and building-mounted lights located and oriented to control sky glow and glare to limit the impact on the local community and environment.

Security features

The new prison will have multiple security features to ensure the safety of staff, prisoners, visitors and the wider community. The new prison will be classified as maximum security and will accommodate sentenced prisoners and prisoners on remand (yet to be sentenced).

The perimeter security features will be similar to Barwon Prison and Margnoneet Correctional Centre. It will include a continuous concrete wall topped by an anti-climb cowl and will be six metres high in total. This will provide a physical and visual screen between the prison and the surrounding area.


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The Victorian Government is taking steps to reduce the impact on local traffic during the construction of the new prison and when the prison is operational in 2022.

This includes undertaking a Traffic Impact Assessment to understand the impact of traffic and parking demand within the entire Barwon Prison Precinct, including when the prison is operational and from construction vehicles and workers during the construction phase.

Construction traffic

During construction a range of vehicles are accessing the site, including delivery trucks and builders’ vehicles. The managing contractor for the project has provided on-site parking for construction vehicles.

Staff

Traffic generated by staff will generally occur during shift changes. There will also be some staff vehicle movements at other times. 

Deliveries

Deliveries to the site will generally occur throughout the day. A functional entry road and parking layout that accommodates the unloading/loading of delivery vehicles and waste management vehicles without obstructing other vehicular movements will be provided.

Prison transfers

Prison transport vehicles will transfer people between prisons and to/from court/other appointments.

Emergency vehicles

Emergency vehicles are provided with appropriate access to the project site, which will continue when the facility is completed.


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The Department of Justice and Community Safety is using the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia’s infrastructure sustainability rating scheme for the Chisholm Road Prison Project.

The Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia defines Infrastructure Sustainability as infrastructure that is designed, constructed and operated to optimise environmental, social and economic outcomes of the long term.

The Council’s infrastructure sustainability rating scheme will be used to evaluate sustainability across the design and construction of the project.

In February 2019, the Community Advisory Group provided input into the ratings through a workshop which has informed the below targets: 

View sustainability targets

Sustainability target update 2020-21

Significant progress was made towards meeting or exceeding sustainability targets for the project in 2020-21, including: 

• A 15% reduction in grid energy consumption for the project compared to standard practice
• A 49% reduction in water consumption compared to standard practice
• A 92% local content requirement for materials and labour

Additional sustainability goals for the project include actions to protect and enhance local biodiversity and minimise the impact of artificial lighting and noise near the project site. More information on our progress towards meeting sustainability targets is below:
 

Sustainability target update