Two more detention centres designed to take up to nearly 2000 people will be opened to cope with the growing number of asylum-seekers coming by boat to Australia.
Making the announcement on Monday, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said that at the same time the Government will begin moving children and family groups out of detention and into community-based accommodation.
The ABC reports that the two new detention centres will be located at Northam, north of Perth, and Inverbrackie, near Woodside in the Adelaide Hills.
The Northam centre will be able to hold 1500 males and the Inverbrackie one about 400 people and family groups.
The ABc reports that other sites that have been used as temporary accommodation - such as tent camps on Christmas Island - will be either decommissioned or their use reduced.
