In short:
Western Plains Correctional Centre is ready to open with prisoner transfers from Port Phillip to begin within days. The 1,248-bed maximum security prison will house over 900 inmates by year’s end as Victoria responds to rising demand under new bail laws.
$1.1 billion facility aims to meet remand demand
The state’s newest maximum-security facility, Western Plains Correctional Centre, is just days away from accepting its first prisoners, with final security clearances and system checks nearing completion.
Located at 1150 Bacchus Marsh Road, Lara, the Western Plains Correctional Centre is Victoria’s newest maximum-security correctional facility.
Minister for Corrections Enver Erdogan officially opened the $1.1 billion prison today, touring the site and meeting with staff as they finalise preparations ahead of the first inmate transfers next week.
More than 400 custodial officers are now stationed at the facility, including 141 new recruits. Many have transferred from other prisons, bringing a mix of fresh recruits and seasoned professionals to support a strong start to operations.
Prisoners from Port Phillip Prison will begin relocating to Western Plains in stages from early next week. The 1,248-bed facility is expected to house more than 900 inmates by the end of the year.
Staff at the site have undertaken more than 100 emergency response drills and full-site sweeps in recent weeks as part of an extensive operational readiness program. Testing is also complete on the prison’s security infrastructure, including AI-powered facial recognition, comprehensive CCTV coverage, and an automated movement monitoring system designed to improve safety and control.
The facility’s design includes eight separate accommodation communities and a 44-bed close supervision and support unit, allowing for flexibility in managing different prisoner groups. Inmates will also have access to a suite of vocational and education programs, with on-site employment opportunities in food services, snap frozen meal production, metal fabrication, powder coating, and ground maintenance.
Western Plains is the first adult prison to open in Victoria in nearly a decade and comes amid growing pressure on the corrections system due to rising remand rates under the Labor Government’s new bail laws. In the 2025/26 state budget, $727 million was allocated to deliver 1,000 additional adult prison beds and 88 new youth justice beds.
To further support system capacity, 20 beds at the St John’s subacute health unit in Port Phillip Prison will remain open beyond the end of 2025.
“Western Plains is a modern and secure maximum security prison that protects the community and provides staff a safe place to work,” Minister Erdogan said.
“I thank Corrections Victoria and all the staff who have worked tirelessly to prepare the prison for opening, which will set our corrections system up for the future.”
