Oberon

Oberon Correctional Centre is a minimum security institution for young male offenders situated 235km west of Sydney. The centre is located in the Gurnang State Forest, on the Shooters Hill Road 40 kilometres from Oberon, approximately 255 kilometres south west of Sydney.

Oberon Correctional Centre has operated as an integral component of the New South Wales Corrective Services’ strategy for managing young adults in New South Wales correctional centres since 1993.

The program operating within the Centre, “The Gurnang Life Challenge Program” derives its name from the State Forest in which the Centre is located.

Address

110 Gurnang Road
SHOOTERS HILL via
OBERON NSW 2787

Phone: (02) 6335 5248

How to get there

Public Transport

CRC (Community Restorative Centre) runs a low cost bus service on a fortnightly basis (Saturdays only) from Sydney to Oberon Correctional Centre. For more information phone CRC on (02) 9288 8700 or visit www.crcnsw.org.au

Private Transport

Follow the Great Western Highway past Katoomba. After about 28km you will come to a steep hill, just after the historic village of Hartley on your left. As you begin to climb, you will see a signpost to Oberon/Jenolan Caves. Turn left.

You are now on the road which leads to both Oberon and the Jenolan Caves. Follow this road for 24km after which you will see a turn-off to the right to Oberon. Take this turn.

You have now left the road to Jenolan Caves and are on the road leading to Oberon. Follow this road for 20km and you will see a turn-off to the left called Titania Road. At this junction there is a small green sign with yellow print showing "Correction Centre".

Take this turn-off to the left and follow this road for 4km. You will come to a T intersection. Turn left - do not be alarmed that you are again on a road to the Jenolan Caves. You will very soon leave it.

After 2km, you will come to a turn-off to the right directing you to Shooters Hill, Butter Factory Lane. At this junction there is another small green sign with yellow print showing "Correctional Centre". Take this turn to the right.

Follow this road for 23km. You will come to an intersection just veering to the left with signposts directing you to Yerranderie and Mt. Werong. Once again you will see the small green sign with yellow writing directing you to the correctional centre.

Take this, veering to the left, and follow this road for 6km. (Drive carefully, as this is a rather rough gravel road and you may occasionally meet large logging trucks).

After 6km, you will come to a turn-off to the right with a signpost declaring “Oberon Correctional Centre”. Turn to the right and follow this road for 1km until you reach the Correctional Centre.

There is one car park at the Centre with ample parking for visitors.

Visitor Information

Bookings:

Visits bookings are essential and can be made Tuesday 10am to 2pm, Wednesday and Thursday 1pm to 2.30pm. Telephone 02 6335 5268

Visit times:

Weekends 8.30 am - 2.45 pm. Public holidays when approved.

Conditions:

Socks and underwear can be brought in for inmates without application.

The following items are not allowed on visits:

Screw top bottles, thermoses, mobile telephones, cameras, pets of any kind, alcohol or any illicit drug or prohibited item.

Travel assistance forms are available from the Welfare Officer, which can be lodged on the visitor's behalf (subject to conditions).

First time visitors need to produce two primary forms of identification.

Legal Visits

Legal practitioners may make an appointment to visit seven days a week by telephoning (02) 6335 5248.

Industries

Up to 21 inmates are employed in manufacturing furniture and timber products. Ten work on the Centre's farm, while 36 inmates are engaged in afforestation work. The remaining inmates are employed in maintenance and other types of service work.

Education

Accredited courses, with nationally recognised qualifications, are made available to inmates at each correctional centre.

The Adult Education and Vocational Training Institute (AEVTI) provides literacy, numeracy and communications courses in all centres. Many centres also offer vocational courses such as Information Technology, Horticulture, Construction, Visual Arts and Contemporary Craft.

AEVTI contracts TAFE NSW and other providers to deliver courses in a range of vocational areas such as Hospitality, Business Skills, Building, Cleaning, Transport, Aboriginal Studies, Horticulture and various WorkCover licenses.

AEVTI also co-ordinates traineeships and offers support for distance education.

Each centre has a library giving inmates access to a range of fiction, non-fiction and reference books. Inmates can also login to a secure internal network called the Inmate Legal Portal which gives them access to material of a legal nature.

For more information regarding these programs visit the AEVTI WebPage.

Special Programs

The Centre caters for one of the final stages of the Corrective Services’ Young Offenders Program, which attempts to separate younger inmates from older, hardened inmates, and prepares them for eventual release.