Fifteen hundred single men in detention in the wheatbelt town of Northam is a "potentially dangerous situation", West Australian Premier Colin Barnett says.
"I'm concerned about the security and safety of the residents of Northam," the premier told reporters on Monday after the federal government announced plans to set up a new detention centre there.
Up to 1500 single male asylum seekers will be housed at a former army base in the town, 80km northeast of Perth.
Mr Barnett has previously expressed his concern that single males housed at the isolated Curtin Detention Centre in the Kimberley could riot and put pressure on WA police and security forces who would have to respond.
The premier said the former army base on the edge of Northam would not be appropriate for asylum seeker family groups but he had concerns about it housing large numbers of single men.
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"Fifteen hundred single men in detention is a potentially dangerous situation."
Mr Barnett said he was pleased that the commonwealth government was at least now talking to the state government about asylum seeker detention.
He said his government would work with the commonwealth to ensure the facility was used appropriately and was "safe both for the people inside and outside of it".
"Now you can expect some proper discussion about the local impact and I will ensure that any concerns by the Northam shire will be taken into account," Mr Barnett said.
