Council
10 October, 2026
‘Beyond belief’: Mayor turned away from gaol event
Goulburn-Mulwaree mayor Nina Dillion claims the NSW Government must have something to hide after she was ‘locked out’ of Goulburn Correctional Centre on Friday.
Goulburn-Mulwaree mayor Nina Dillion claims the NSW Government must have something to hide after she was ‘locked out’ of Goulburn Correctional Centre on Friday.
Cr Dillon was invited to a family day at the gaol as a guest of the Community and Public Sector Union (PSU Group) and Goulburn correctional officers.
However she received a phonecall from the gaol’s governor to say her visit had not been approved by ‘Sydney’.
Cr Dillon was outraged.
“What the hell does that mean,” she asked?
“If the information that Minister (for Corrections) Anoulack Chanthivong and Corrective Services have provided to me is factual and correct there should be nothing to hide,” Cr Dillion said.
Cr Dillon said the decision not to approve her visit “raises many concerns and leaves our community with even more questions about why our old gaol was closed”.
“It is beyond belief that I have been locked out of one of the major facilities and employers in our region.”
Cr Dillon said the event had been organised to enable friends and family of correctional officers to tour the facilities.
She said it was an opportunity that few of them had ever experienced.
The Southern Wire understands that as many as 400 people were invited to attend the event and registered via a posted invitation from the Goulburn Correctional Centre.
Local residents have described the decision not to allow Cr Dillon’s visit as “disappointing” and “disgusting”.
One resident said it was “very poor treatment” and the mayor deserved an explanation.
Others suggested Cr Dillon may have been considered a ‘risk’ and accused the NSW Government of being obstructive rather than transparent.
As reported by The Southern Wire, the NSW Government has closed the Victorian-era wings at the gaol and moved the maximum-security inmates elsewhere.
The move was strongly opposed not only by Goulburn-Mulwaree Council but by Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman, the PSU, the local business chamber and the community in general.
The NSW Government announced in March this year that it would be closing the four Victorian-era wings at the Goulburn facility because they were no longer considered fit for purpose.
The government committed to a six-month consultation process but the consultation related to employment options for Corrective Services staff rather than the decision to close the old wings.
Opponents say the decision was made well before it was announced and without any consultation with the local community.
While Mrs Tuckerman and council representatives have met with Minister Chanthivong to ask the NSW Government to review the decision, they said the government was determined to push ahead with the closure regardless of community feedback and without considering other options.
More than 20,000 residents signed a position opposing the closure indicating there is widespread concern over the impact of the closure on the local community.
The petition is expected to be presented to Parliament this Thursday.
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