The alternatives, aired during a community meeting Ms Watson convened last month, have been raised with NSW Corrections Minister David Elliott.

In a letter to the minister, seen by Fairfax Media, Ms Watson said the “undeniable sentiment” at the meeting was residents’ opposition to the Kembla Grange site.

Residents were concerned the site was “at the edge of a number of new residential land releases or land earmarked for residential development”, she said, adding its proximity to existing dwellings set it apart from other NSW correctional facilities.

Ms Watson said other locations put forward for the government to consider included Goulburn, Jamberoo, Meroo Meadow and Bombo.

Three of those locations sit within Gareth Ward’s Kiama electorate – and he doesn’t want another prison built in his backyard. 

Meroo Meadow is where the Liberal MP lives and is only a few kilometres from the South Coast Correctional Centre.

Mr Ward slammed the proposal, saying it was “proffered on malicious grounds rather than a public policy objective”.

“I have supported the construction and expansion of the South Nowra Correctional facility in my electorate. But it seems Labor now plan to construct a second jail in the Kiama electorate,” he said.

“The next election will be a referendum of whether my community supports Labor’s Kiama Jail plan. I will strongly oppose it.”

Mr Ward said checks by Kiama and Shoalhaven councils revealed none of the land available in the alternative locations was appropriately zoned for a prison.