Residents anxious following riot

Whakatane man Steve Anderson and wife Lorraine will not be leaving tropical Christmas Island, despite the riot. Photo / Supplied

A former Whakatane man has spoken of watching riot police landing on Christmas Island hours before they stormed the troubled detention centre, as well as the anxious mood among the island's residents.

Steve Anderson and his wife Lorraine have been residents of the island for the past 12 months. She is a doctor at the Christmas Island hospital while he is a contract manager for a civil and construction company.

On Monday night, Mr Anderson, a former Whakatane resident who worked for the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union for many years, watched as riot police landed on the island to regain control of the detention centre that had been taken over by detainees over allegations of overcrowding and assaults.

It was fairly obvious work being carried out at the centre was making it more like a prison than a detention centre for asylum seekers.

Steve Anderson, ex-Whakatane resident

They were bussed 20km inland before storming the facility just after dawn on Tuesday morning, apparently using tear gas and rubber bullets.

"Seeing them all arriving was an impressive sight," Mr Anderson said.

He understood significant damage had been caused at the centre with walls smashed and structures burned.

"I've been told the detainees had free rein of the entire centre and, because I've spent many hours working out there, they would have had to cause considerable damage to achieve this."

Mr Anderson said he expected remedial work would begin almost immediately.

He described the mood among the 1500 permanent residents as anxious. "We had heard one person had escaped by scaling a fence on the perimeter and things at the centre deteriorated from there."

He said the majority of centre staff lived within the Christmas Island settlement which was 20km from the inland detention centre. That meant what happened at the centre circulated quickly.

Mr Anderson believed problems associated with the facility stemmed from its reactionary stance.

"The centre had already taken in a number of detainees awaiting or fighting deportation orders when extra staff were added. The numbers of detainees had built significantly when work began on making the place more secure. It's like they're putting measures in place after the event."

"However, before the riots, it was fairly obvious work being carried out at the centre was making it more like a prison than a detention centre for asylum seekers."

He said last year's government introduction of laws cracking down on foreign-born criminals and giving Australia's Immigration Minister Peter Dutton the power to deport anyone with a 12-month sentence who didn't have Australian citizenship, had changed dynamics on the island.

"Locals have always been aware of the difference between an asylum seeker and, perhaps, a 150kg man who has committed a crime that has warranted 12 months or more in prison. The riots have compounded their concerns."

But neither he nor his wife had any inclination to leave the island. "We love it here. It's easy tropical island living with great fishing and diving, gorgeous bush walks and a 27-degree average temperature."