K272m asylum centre to open in January

 A A$137 million (K272 million )permanent processing centre for asylum seekers on  Manus Island is set to be completed in January. 

Construction company Decmil,  experience in constructing villages for oil, gas and mining projects, will build the 600-bed centre.

A spokesman for Decmil said the site would be able to house women, children, families and “other vulnerable groups”.

Along with the processing centre, a 200-room accommodation facility for staff, along with health, welfare, recreational and operational facilities are included in the project.

Work is set to start this month, with a completion date set for Jan 31.

“Our experience in remote locations, building the villages that house workers on many of our nation’s major resources projects, has placed us in an ideal position to tackle this project on behalf of the Australian national government,” Decmil chief executive Scott Criddle said. – AAP