Police hub plan slammed as crime frustrations rise
A $30 million plan to convert the former home of rugby league in NQ into a “state-of-the-art” police precinct has been met with heavy criticism.
Townsville
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A $30 million plan to convert the former home of rugby league in North Queensland into a “state-of-the-art” police precinct to cater to the growing city has been unveiled.
The announcement drew criticism from both politicians and the community who labelled it a “smokescreen” to cover up the youth crime epidemic in Townsville.
On Tuesday Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, with an entourage of politicians and senior police figures, announced the plan to demolish the ageing 1300Smiles stadium to make way for the development.
The new police facility will replace the current station on Thuringowa Dr, which was built in 1984, and consolidate existing assets into a multipurpose precinct.
“This facility will be state-of-the-art. We’re investing in the Queensland Police Service to put more officers in the field and give them the resources they need to do the job,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“The new facility will service Kirwan and surrounding areas and potentially become the base for a number of units that service the wider Townsville Police District.”
Katter’s Australia Party leader Robbie Katter described the announcement as a “smokescreen” while deputy leader Nick Dametto questioned the project’s timing with construction set to wrap up in 2024, just in time for a State Election.
Mr Katter said the precinct would be “nice to have” but would fail to solve the issue.
“When governments come up announcing new buildings, that means they are trying to throw a smokescreen in front of the real issue,” he said.
“The premier might like cutting a ribbon on new buildings along with her MPs to make them popular but that is not how we solve this problem.
“I am sure if you asked any police officer out there if you would prefer to have tools to address this problem effectively or would you like a new building – I am pretty sure they would go for the tools.”
Opposition spokesman for Police, Dale Last, questioned whether the new facility will do anything to quell crime.
“I will always support improvements in resources for Police Officers but, if the Premier thinks this announcement will quell concerns over youth crime, she is sadly mistaken,” he said.
“The fact that the Premier, Police Minister and three local Labor MP’s had to be pressed to comment on youth crime shows how out of touch they really are.”
“If the local Labor MP’s are, as the Premier said, raising youth crime with her ‘all of the time’, then they are obviously not doing a good job or the Premier is ignoring them. Either way, the people of Townsville are left with no improvement on youth crime.”
Member for Thuringowa Aaron Harper described the $30m spend on the facility as “unprecedented” and said that once open, the station would be the best facility in Queensland.
“The government makes no apologies for investing in new police facilities,” he said.
Police Minister Mark Ryan earmarked the $30m and promised to upgrade the ageing Kirwan station in the lead up to the 2020 election.
Demolition of the 26,500 seat stadium is expected to start soon with construction supporting 100 jobs and set to wrap up in late 2024.
When the facility opens in 2025 it will be the home base for about 120 officers.
Burdekin MP Dale Last said the announcement showed the Premier and the three local Labor ministers were “out of touch.”
He said the community deserved a guarantee that the new station would not result in the closure of other stations.
“When the Premier and Minister talk about consolidating functions, that usually means closures,” he said.
Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said the facility would be the home to a raft of officers.
“The initial $30 million investment will deliver a cutting-edge police facility that will serve as a base for police who service the people of Kirwan,” he said.
“It will accommodate people from our specialist units and also accommodate the management of the district and the region into the future.”
At a press conference on Tuesday five politicians, the Police Commissioner and a police union representative spent about 25 minutes singing the $30m precinct’s praises and talking about the rollout of new tactical vests for officers.
Media minders cut off questions from journalists after less than eight minutes with Police Minister Mark Ryan avoiding questions altogether.
Mr Last, who is a former police officer, said he backed funding to support police officers but accused Minister Ryan and Townsville’s three Labor members of failing to listen to what was important to the community.
“Minister Ryan and the 3 local Labor MP’s have failed to stand up for victims of the youth crime wave, they have failed to listen to what is important to the people of Townsville and they have failed to protect our Police Officers.
“People have every right to question how the Premier can continue to support the people who have failed this city time and time again.”
Responding to follow up questions from the Bulletin Mr Ryan said the facility would be a welcome, positive initiative.
He praised the government’s new youth bail laws and investment in youth justice services.
“Any instance of criminal offending is unacceptable and the government is taking action to support community safety,” he said.
Originally published as Police hub plan slammed as crime frustrations rise
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