Addressing the social and economic impact of the new jail, Mr Craythorn said the Statement of Environmental Effects concluded that it would have a net positive impact on the local community.
"Some social costs include an increased demand for emergency accommodation, low cost housing and welfare services.
"Some social benefits include the creation of local employment opportunities and a contribution to Wellington's social capital created by the arrival of people with a diverse range of skills and experience."
On the question of crisis housing, Mr Craythorn said there would be people turning up to visit inmates and then finding they had no money to return home and no money to stay in Wellington.
"These people may stay with friends or they may be unable to find accommodation.
"The scale of this problem for Wellington will be difficult to predict.
"The circumstances in other localities are different and the scale of this problem may well vary from place to place."
He said that in Lithgow, visitors commuting by rail could easily return to Sydney.
"Commuting to and from Wellington by public transport may not be so easily accomplished. Nor is it expected that visitors will be primarily sourced from Sydney."
Mr Craythorn said that if the facility was to service the central and western parts of the State, then it was likely the inmates and visitors would come from these locations.
"It is known that Aboriginal people are over-represented in the prison population, therefore the population of Aboriginal inmates at the MWCC is likely to be higher than elsewhere."
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