Wandoo Reintegration Facility to maintain Wellington Spur

The Wandoo Reintegration Facility, managed by Serco Australia, is a minimum security detention facility aimed at assisting young adults to be reintegrated back into society to play a positive role. This is done, in part, by enabling residents to develop practical skills and to have meaningful experiences.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Foundation and Serco, a selected team of residents will receive training and support to conduct maintenance on the 18km trail which links the Bibbulmun Track to the Wellington Dam recreation area.

The trail encompasses two campsite areas, purpose built bridges and goes through mixed jarrah forests, pine plantations, farm land, across old railway formations from the logging industry and ends at the dam. It is an area rich in natural and engineering history and has been developed to meet the needs of school groups.

The Bibbulmun Track’s long history of association with prison work crews began in 1994 when the Ministry of Justice (now the Department of Corrective Services) provided workshop facilities and labour to prefabricate shelters, and selected prisoners worked out on the Track itself. This led to an MOU between the MOJ and CALM (now DEC) in 1998 and the setting up of work camps*.

This relationship continues to the present day and everyone involved in this new partnership is looking forward to an equally successful outcome, given the opportunities it offers for reparation and positive community engagement.

*Details of these events can be found in issue 48 of the Bibbulmun News, which can be downloaded here.