PLANNING has begun on the $15 million knockdown and rebuild of Queanbeyan's outdated police station said to be plagued with structural problems.
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Deputy Premier and Minister for Justice and Police Troy Grant and NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione toured the premises on Friday, May 22.
Mr Grant reaffirmed support for the multimillion dollar project which was announced as a NSW election promise in March.
The minister said it was clear the 37-year-old building was in need of a "major overhaul". He said the new facility would not only cater for current staffing needs but also address future demand.
"Walking around the station with the commander and talking to the troops, it's obvious the premises is in need of major overhaul," Mr Grant said.
"We're here to confirm the commitment of the NSW government is locked and loaded and ready to go."
Superintendent Rod Smith said the Monaro Local Area Command had outgrown the "outdated" premises built in the early 1970s.
Currently, the majority of police staff work in the main station on Monaro Street and other teams are spread across small offsite buildings in town.
"To have a new station at Queanbeyan would enable police to work in a modern facility and reside under one roof," Superintendent Smith said.
"It's not just for the current climate but also to address future demand. There will be significant population growth down the track and with that we will need more law enforcement.
"We're talking about new suburbs like Googong, Tralee and Parkwood Estate, which is located on the edge of Belconnen, but part of the suburb will fall into this command."
Superintendent Smith said there were significant structural problems with the current building and welcomed a modern facility for the officers.
"It's one of those things, as the building gets older more problems start to appear," he said.
"We've had evidence of structural problems in the building for a number of years. There's been subsidence in the land and that of course leads to a flow-on effect to the doors, cracks in the walls and the level of the floor."
The minister said the timeline for the project was yet to be determined.
"The planning will dictate the timeline. It's about how extensive the refurbishment is and the work required to be done and that will largely determine the time frame...," he said.
"We can't just look at making this place fit for current needs, it has to be future proofed as well."