Minister addresses rumours over future of Mona Vale Police Station
The future of Mona Vale police station remains a mystery after Planning Minister Rob Stokes would not rule the sale of the site in or out.
Manly
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The future of Mona Vale police station remains unclear after Planning Minister Rob Strokes could neither rule in, nor out, the sale of the site.
Back in November rumours were circulating about the station being sold off and moved as part of the police force’s statewide “re-engineering” program.
As part of the program it has already consolidated 42 Local Area Commands into 32 Police Area Commands in metropolitan Sydney in a push to put more officers on the frontline.
But Mr Stokes, also Pittwater MP, said while there has been conversation about the station being moved, the police had not made a decision.
“Police have not made any decisions but my job is to support whatever their operational decision is,” Mr Stokes said.
“In relation to the site there has been suggestions of moving it into the town centre. The proposal initially came from local police but there’s been no official position.
“Have there been conversations of where it would go? Of course. I’d be happy to engage in conversation about what’s going to happen to the site if police decide to move. Right now it’s an entirely hypothetical discussion.”
A majority of the property where the police station is located is vacant, with part of it used for a holding site for wrecked vehicles. The Mona Vale police station located on Pittwater Rd was refurbished and enlarged back in 2008.
The matter was addressed at the Northern Beaches Council meeting in a Mayoral Minute.
Mayor Michael Regan’s motion was carried for council to write to Local Area Commander, Supt Dave Darcy proposing to relocate the police station to a more centralised site in Mona Vale.
The council will also write to Mr Stokes seeking support for the council to lease out the site for the purposes of establishing affordable housing for key workers.
“We don’t want to lose the opportunity of getting the land and having community input for what’s happening to it next,” Cr Regan said.
“This Mayoral Minute is to expose what’s happening and to offer our hand and to educate - no more, no less.”
Cr Pat Daley said he would support the police’s decision to move.
“Police officers are better being used on the street in police cars. It’s a total waste of resources having police sitting in stations. If you just have a shopfront it activates interaction and community policing. I say there is logic in getting police on the frontline.”
But Cr Vincent De Luca disagreed.
“It’s not an easy thing to do (to relocate a police station). The council just did a draft policy that shows Mona Vale is a key centre. With more development, you wouldn’t want to take that away.”