Taxpayers to spend $90 million to move police horses to new Gepps Cross home

Building new stables at Gepps Cross to house police horses will waste about $50m of taxpayers’ money, the police union says – a claim the government denies. See the plans.

Artist impression of the police horse barracks at Gepps Cross. Picture: Supplied

The state government has wasted up to $50 million of taxpayers’ money relocating the police horses to new facilities at Gepps Cross, rather than the original site on the south parklands, according to the police union.

Police Association president Mark Carroll said the costing for the original site was contained in SAPOL planning documents – a claim refuted by Treasurer Stephen Mullighan who said the cost of relocating to either of the two sites was comparable.

Reacting to the revelation the Gepps Cross move will cost $90 million, Mr Carroll said the move ignored “operational imperatives’’ for the police horses and dog operations unit and was instead made for “political imperatives.’’

Mounted officer Senior constable Darcy Wright with police horse Yass at the Thebarton Police Barracks. Picture: Tom Huntley

“The government has buckled to the slightest bit of pressure from the Adelaide City Council over the parklands site, and in the process sent a clear message to Police Association members and the SA community: they’re willing to dud everyone involved, so they can retain the seat of Adelaide at the next election,’’ he said.

“This isn’t about new facilities. If it was, they would’ve settled on the parklands site.

“Our Mounted Operations members have been providing the SA community with outstanding service from Thebarton Barracks for more than a century. They believe in serving the community, not shiny new toys miles away from where the taskings are.’’

Mr Mullighan said while the Gepps Cross facility would cost more because of extra earthworks due to its sloping terrain and the need for a city staging site, it “was not double the price.’’

“I push back on the idea it is double the cost,’’ he said.

“We had an early costing estimate on the south parklands site that it could cost up to $80 million, but that was not developed further when we ruled it out.’’

The Advertiser last night revealed the $90 million price tag was contained in a submission put before the Public Works Committee detailing the extent of the new purpose-built complex, which will also accommodate the Dog Operations Unit.

Mr Mullighan said the facility was expected to be completed by mid-2024 with the cost including significant upgrades to access roads off Grand Junction Rd and Briens Rd.

The new site for the police horses on the corner of Briens Road and Grand Junction Road. Picture Dean Martin

The new 8ha complex will include three training areas – including an undercover arena – 32 stables larger than those currently in use at the Thebarton barracks, paddocks to spell horses and administration buildings for staff. Kenneling and training areas for the police dogs are on a smaller scale.

While the Gepps Cross site has been finalised, a city staging post on vacant land adjacent the Supreme Court is still being finalised amid police concerns the site is not large enough.

“We are investing in better facilities to ensure our police have a modern workplace, in line with other jurisdictions, to better support them in keeping the community safe,’’ Mr Mullighan said.

“Unlike the current Thebarton site, Gepps Cross will meet the needs of police for decades to come.

“This is a vital step towards a new Women’s and Children’s Hospital and we are getting on with the job.’’

Last month members of the police mounted operations unit urged the state government to scrap plans to relocate them to Gepps Cross, saying it will place public safety at risk, proposing a Bowden location that will enable them to respond rapidly to incidents in the city.

They are also concerned constructing only 32 stables will not allow for any future expansion of horse numbers and quarantining of animals if needed.

Their concerns over the Gepps Cross site were in a letter written on their behalf by Mr Carroll to Premier Peter Malinauskas – almost eight weeks after the government scrapped the first chosen site in the south parklands because of concern by parklands protest groups.

The letter details identical concerns by members of the Dog Operations Unit (DOU), who also feared their response times to critical incidents will suffer if they are housed at Gepps Cross.

The letter followed meetings between the union and mounted and dog operation unit members after it emerged a site chosen adjacent Adelaide Airport was scrapped, partly because of concerns over PFAS contamination.

It has emerged that while the risk of PFAS contamination was minimal – as revealed in minutes of an Adelaide Airport Consultative Committee meeting on August 17 – extensive testing would still have been needed to rule out the possibility.

Additionally, the preferred location chosen was already subject to an agreement with a private company to construct an entertainment park.