New cop shop in limbo
Minister says government not sitting on their hands
WORKS to transform an ageing Townsville police station are yet to take off almost 12 months since the state government made the $30m promise.
But Police Minister Mark Ryan said they had not been sitting on their hands, and the planning process to make over Kirwan Police Station was well under way.
Almost a year has passed since the announcement, and no ground has been broken, no designs have been signed off and no plans have been completed.
Police sources told the Townsville Bulletin the plans were meant to be drawn up this year, but there had been no consultation or discussion with on-the-ground police.
Mr Ryan said the process took time for such a large development. “Planning is under way for new police facilities in Kirwan,” Mr Ryan said in a statement. “It is a major project requiring significant planning and design work.”
Mr Ryan announced the “big commitment” on October 1 last year after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk promised more than 2000 extra police officers for the state, including 150 for the Northern Region.
The station on Thuringowa Drive was built in 1984 and is in desperate need of an expansion as the number of officers grows. The station underwent renovations last year, but has become too small for its growing staff levels, which jumped by 15 officers in two years.
The new station was a welcome surprise for police officers, but it is understood that no discussions or consultations have been had with Townsville police officers since the announcement.
Mr Ryan said more information was coming.
“The government will be making further announcements about this important infrastructure project in the near future,” Mr Ryan said.
Rumours have swirled in the past year about whether the station will remain on the same block or be incorporated in a potential emergency services hub at the former 1300 SMILES stadium.
The state government promised in October last year to spend $500,000 on a feasibility study to investigate the suitability of the site for a
multi-agency emergency services headquarters. Mr Ryan did not comment on where the police station would be built or when ground would be broken on construction.