The Government is negotiating to buy two possible prison sites in Rotorua which are being kept secret.
Child Youth and Family is hunting for a site in the Waikato/Rotorua area to build a $30 million youth prison.
A group charged with finding the site has short-listed five secret locations - two in the vicinity of Rotorua Airport and three in the Waikato.
David Hay, project manager for Youth Justice Central, said conditional agreements were being negotiated with private vendors who owned four of the five sites.
As with previous prison site searches conducted by the Government, the agreements will allow the Government to choose one site and not be bound by the remaining four agreements.
The secrecy of the sites is a departure from previous prison site searches, when short-listed sites were publicised.
However, Mr Hay said the site selection group took into account the interests, perceptions, and concerns of local communities as well as the interests of New Zealand as a whole.
There would be full public consultation after a site had been recommended to the appropriate minister, he said.
Commercial sensitivity and shielding the sites' owners from adverse public reaction have previously been cited as reasons for the exact locations being kept secret.
The Daily Post understands one of the Rotorua sites is behind the Eastgate business park.
The secrecy surrounding the sites has angered Rotorua residents who have demanded Child Youth and Family be up-front and reveal the locations.
The selection committee will meet late next month to recommend a preferred site or sites to the minister responsible for Child Youth and Family.
* The Daily Post believes it is in the public interest the five sites be made public and has requested the location of the properties under the Official Information Act.
Rotorua prison site deals being negotiated in secret
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