Ipswich Acting Superintendent Doug McDonald addresses new police station for rapidly-growing Ripley and future of headquarters

The state government has committed money towards a new police station, which for years has been earmarked as becoming the new headquarters for the Ipswich district.

Ipswich Acting Superintendent Doug McDonald said it was too early to confirm any details about the new police station in Ripley.

THE state government has committed $500,000 in this year’s budget towards a new police station in the boom suburb of Ripley, which could become the new home of the outdated Ipswich police headquarters with planning underway.

The funds were included in Queensland’s 2021-22 budget and the government estimates the total cost of the new facility will ultimately be $25 million.

In October’s state election, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk pledged her government would build a new station in Ripley, as well as an improved facility at Rosewood, if victorious.

Police gather outside the Yamanto station.

The $500,000 will be used for planning the Ripley facility but construction is still years away.

Another $50,000 was set aside in this year’s budget for planning an improved Rosewood station.

Ipswich MP Jennifer Howard said in 2019 Ipswich’s police headquarters at the Yamanto station was becoming “slightly inadequate” and relocating the complex to Ripley was a “sensible solution”.

Ms Howard had held talks with then-Ipswich Superintendent Katherine Innes, who was promoted to Assistant Commissioner as part of the QPS Executive Leadership Team earlier this year, about the need to expand the facility.

“Having a first class police headquarters around Ripley is her vision,” Ms Howard said at the time.

“We could spend a lot of money fixing (Yamanto station) and doing bits to it.

“A new location could be a better option, though.”

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Ipswich Acting Superintendent Doug McDonald said it was too early to confirm any details about the new station.

“At this stage we’re still going through the due diligence process in consultation with the developers at Ripley,” he said.

“In the coming few months hopefully we’ll be able to firm up on the site out there for the new project.

“Then we can go through the requirements from a policing perspective for the future.

“We’re considering what the facility will look like in terms of what units in the Ipswich district are staged out there at Ripley.

“At this stage, while no final decisions are being made, we’re looking at areas like the district office being out there and of course Yamanto station also being positioned there.”

As of March 31, there were 461 approved police officer positions across the Ipswich district.

Ipswich Acting Superintendent Doug McDonald.

As part of the state government’s commitment to hire an extra 2025 police personnel over the next five years, at least 150 will be based within the southern region which includes the Ipswich district.

“There’s a lot of other specialist units where we need to find the best fit for and the best location in the district,” Superintendent McDonald said.

“There’s still a lot of work to do and it’s all still a number of years away.

“That new development area there at Ripley is within the Yamanto police division.

“That’s why there’s consideration about the actual police station at Yamanto being located out there.

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“There’s a need out there for all the future growth happening through that corridor.

“It’s about whether it can hold the resources we need it to.

“It’s still too early to say what the plan is, whether people remain (at the Yamanto station) or what would happen to the building or what the utilisation would be. It’s still all part of the assessment.”

Bundamba MP Lance McCallum said a station was needed in Ripley due to the numbers of new residents expected in the coming years, with the nearest stations in Ipswich, Goodna and Springfield.

He said he couldn’t say whether it would serve as the new Ipswich police headquarters.

Bundamba MP Lance McCallum.

“Police are obviously the experts on exactly what they need in terms of operational requirements to keep on keeping our communities safe,” he said.

“The full details on exactly what the facility looks like apart from the fact it’s in Ripley will be revealed in the not too distant future.

“We all know we’ve got a rapidly-growing community there and right throughout Ipswich. This new investment in community safety is exactly what we need.

“I’m sure the police command will be looking at what is the best operational structure to make sure that the Ipswich community is getting the very best it possibly can in terms of service delivery.”

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