Regional Education Training Centre: $41m facility opens to train NSW Police officers

A new ‘state-of-the-art’ multimillion-dollar police facility has opened in the state’s central west to train regional officers closer to home. Here’s the latest.

Karen Webb and Yasmin Catley in Dubbo. Picture Hannah Hodgkinson

Regional NSW Police officers have the opportunity to train closer to home in a new state-of-the-art training facility in Dubbo, significantly boosting the capabilities of officers across the region.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb and Police Minister Yasmin Catley opened the $41m Regional Education Training Centre on Thursday in Dubbo.

The centre, a first of its kind in the state, houses all training facilities on one site, including firearms, defensive tactics and active armed offender training to deliver mandatory, specialist and leadership education to officers.

The 1.7h site, including a 50m indoor live shooting range, an active armed offender training venue with augmented reality technology, multiple simulation training rooms, modern classrooms, indoor training areas and an outdoor area designed for vehicle movement training.

The facility also includes a training room dedicated to the late Senior Sergeant Peter Spradbrow who retired in 2014 after 27 years of service.

Cutting-edge police training facility opens in Dubbo. Picture: NSW Police.

“This new facility shows our commitment to providing our officers with the best possible resources and training to ensure they are well-prepared to protect and serve the people of NSW,” Ms Webb said.

“These facilities are equipped for other types of training as well, not just weapons training. If officers come in for weapons training, then they could have mandatory lectures and all of that at the same time.”

Karen Webb in Dubbo making an address to open Dubbo’s latest police facility. Picture: Hannah Hodgkinson

Ms Catley reiterated the centre among “best of the world” which will “increase the capability of police second to none”.

“We’re so pleased as the government to be able to support the NSW Police to make sure that they have first rate facilities, that they have exactly what they need to train and to be the best in the world.”

“As we know, policing is a job like no other. We need to make sure they are properly trained to do their job and this facility in Dubbo does just that.

“We back our police 100 per cent. On top of providing world-class training facilities, we’re paying recruits to train and providing a pathway to work in their hometown.”

The site will also house a NSW Rural Fire Service Regional Education and Training Centre and the RFS will be partnering with other emergency services to share some facilities.

Originally published as Regional Education Training Centre: $41m facility opens to train NSW Police officers