NSW Police Minister Troy Grant was in Taree today to announce $1.5 million will be provided by the State government to commence an upgrade to Taree Police Station.
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The funding follows a commitment made by the Liberals and Nationals in 2015 to improve the buildings on the site.
Flanked by Member for Myall Lakes Stephen Bromhead and Manning Great Lakes Local Area Command chief inspector Allan Fidock, Mr Grant said the wait for the upgrades is over.
"The police have been enormously patient and the community has been enormously supportive.
"It has taken a bit of time and a little bit too long to explore all the options for the upgrade and we're not waiting any longer.
"It's not going to be an easy task but it is one we are determined to get right,” Mr Grant said.
A final design and scope of the project will be finalised during the 2017/2018 financial year.
Work on the site is set to commence next year with completion by 2020.
"It will be far more functional and efficient so the police aren't stuck behind desks and trying to navigate through an inefficient work environment and can be out on the street more with more boots on the ground to keep our community safe.
"We know police stations don't solve crime, we know police stations don't patrol our streets but we need modern police stations that are efficient so that the effectiveness of the police deployment can be at its peak.
“The new police station here will give the community a vote of confidence and it just gives them a lift in attitude but how it works inside is equally important as well and how it then translates into the community,” Mr Grant said.
Mr Bromhead said the work of the local command will be rewarded through the upgraded facilities.
"I'm determined to make sure we get every dollar that we need to deliver what these police want. Our police do an absolutely fantastic job and we saw some evidence of it only a couple of days ago with the huge drug bust-six months of undercover work to culminate in a couple of days.
"They are doing this on a regular basis and at the same time putting up with second class facilities that should have been torn down and rebuilt back in the eighties and they've been putting up with it for all these years, this is a great reward for them.
"If you've got police happy in the working surrounds that means they are going to be doing an even better job out on the road- not to say that they aren't doing a fantastic job now but it helps them,” Mr Bromhead said.
