Minister for Justice, John Hatzistergos today opened a recreation area built by Periodic Detainees behind the Westmead Children's Hospital, for the benefit of sick children and local residents.

He said that over $3 million of unpaid community work was performed last year by offenders serving periodic detention orders.

"The Redbank Track is an environmentally sympathetic river walk along Toongabbie Creek, and it will provide a pleasant recreation area for the benefit of patients from the Westmead Hospitals, people staying at Ronald McDonald House and local residents"

Mr Hatzistergos was joined by the Member for Parramatta, Tanya Gadiel; Member for Wentworthville, the Hon Pam Allan; Councillors from Parramatta City Council and the Executive Officer of the Upper Parramatta River Catchment Trust Stephen Lees.

In this project, an overgrown creek behind Westmead Hospital is being turned into a recreation area by inmates from the Silverwater Periodic Detention Centre. The walking track will stretch from from Redbank Road to Mons Road, Westmead.

The project is the result of a unique partnership between the Silverwater Periodic Detention Centre, the Upper Parramatta River Catchment Trust, Parramatta Council and Westmead Hospital.

"The Trust is delighted with the outcome of this project. I am particularly impressed with the resourcefulness shown by the detainees and the pride in their work," said Mr Lees, Executive Officer of the Upper Parramatta River Catchment Trust.

The Upper Parramatta River Catchment Trust has been using periodic detainees to undertake bush regeneration work around the catchment for the last 12 years.

The work involves the removal of lantana, privet and other noxious weeks which covered the creek to such a degree that local residents did not know it existed.

Three kilometres of creek is being restored by teams of over 40 detainees. Over 10,000 native trees and shrubs, provided by the Silverwater Periodic Detention Centre nursery have been planted, and 50 bird boxes have been built.

"There are over 830 periodic detainees across the state, who perform over $3 million of work a year for community organisations, and without it most of this work would not be done," said Mr Hatzistergos.

"Through their work they can gain some job skills, and help to give something back to the community they offended against."

Other work carried out by detainees from Silverwater includes:

· Cultivating 14,000 Pigface plants for Towra Point
· Removal and clearing of waste around Georges River
· Maintenance of the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway at Concord
· Clean up Australia Day

The Government has also progressively tightened the periodic detention scheme over the last few years, in particular making improvements to the rules governing non-attendance.

"This has resulted in a substantial improvement in the attendance rate from under 60% during the previous Coalition government to over 80% last year," Mr Hatzistergos said.

Ms Tanya Gadiel MP, Member for Parramatta; Mr Neil Rogers, Supervisor (Dept Corrective Services); Mr Bob Junor, Chairman (Upper Parramatta River Catchment Trust); the Hon John Hatzistergos MLC (Minister for Justice, Minister for Fair Trading, Minister Assisting the Minister for Commerce and Minister Assisting the Premier on Citizenship).