The closure of Tasmania's troubled youth detention centre could be pushed back, with the state government conceding the construction of a replacement may not meet its deadline.
An inquiry into child sexual abuse in government institutions deemed the Ashley Youth Detention Centre a "live" risk to children in its September final report.
It called for the centre be closed as soon as possible - listing it among recommendations to be completed by July 2026.
The government has agreed to implement all 191 recommendations of the inquiry, which was told of harrowing abuse at the centre over the past two decades.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said extensive assessments had been undertaken at the site chosen for the centre's replacement in southern Tasmania.
"Planning is underway regarding the design and the function of the facility," he told a parliamentary committee.
"It is expected design of the new detention facilities will take approximately 12 months followed by a 24-month construction period.
"Following construction ... time must be allowed for commissioning and operational testing and transitioning to the new facility."
The government in 2021 pledged to close the centre by the end of 2024 but revised the timeline as part of broader justice reforms.
In June, it agreed to pay $75 million to 129 former detainees who were allegedly abused between 1960 and 2023 at the centre, formerly called the Ashley Home for Boys.
The detainees' legal claim alleged they were stripsearched, subjected to isolation and beatings as punishment and encouraged to attack each other by staff.
The government has said it cannot close the centre without suitable replacement facilities.
Minister for Children and Youth Roger Jaensch said the new, more therapeutic centre may not be finished by July 2026.
"(A delay is) possible, but our intention is to drive to the deadline as best we can," he said.
"It’s not as simple as closing one building and opening another.
"We have to fundamentally redesign the whole approach to youth justice … so we have fewer people in detention."
Mr Jaensch described the premier's 12-month time frame for design as a "rule of thumb".
"We are into the design phase ... we will continue to progress as fast as we can," he said.
Justice and human rights groups including Amnesty International have repeatedly called for the centre to shut.
The inquiry, which also examined education, health and out-of-home care systems, was told the centre had a culture of brutality and had outlasted previous reform attempts.
The government says it has improved practices at the centre and installed more CCTV cameras to cover blind spots.
