Premier Steven Miles won’t add Gold Coast police beats after cuts at Pacific Fair, Robina Town Centre

The Premier has made a big call on Gold Coast’s police beats - after their axing at major hubs and shopping centres in recent years. Read why.

Generic photos of Pacific Fair. 23 December 2023 Gold Coast Picture by Richard Gosling

The state Labor government won’t reopen police beats on the Gold Coast despite spending millions to re-establish closed facilities in other regions.

Premier Steven Miles will spend $30 million dollars to open ten new police beats across Queensland if re-elected despite Labor closing more than 40 during its time in government.

Mr Miles earlier in the campaign said the closures of smaller stations in high-traffic areas, which include Pacific Fair in Broadbeach, Robina Town Centre and Southport’s Australia Fair, were “operational” decisions by the Queensland Police Service (QPS).

“What we’re saying is we want to see more of them reopened,” Mr Miles said.

“This is the government saying we want to see a return to more static police beats, and we’re allocating funding for ten.”

Queensland Premier Steven Miles won’t overturn cuts to Gold Coast police beats. Picture: David Clark

Of the three facilities confirmed, the Premier says his government would reopen the recently closed police beat at Willows Shopping Centre near Townsville.

A police beat would be established at Mount Sheridan Shopping Centre near Cairns – just 4 minutes down the road from where the QPS recently closed the White Rock police beat.

While another facility will open at Castle Town Shopping Centre in Townsville, a fourminute drive from the existing Garbutt police beat.

“It’s hard to understand the reopening of police beats in the Far North when we’re seeing the closing of beats here on the Coast,” retired Gold Coast police boss Jim Keogh said in response to the election commitment.

“Especially given the crime problems being experienced here at the moment. And the impact on the Coast’s reputation as a tourism meca.”

Retired Gold Coast Chief Superintendent Jim Keogh has questioned the government's police beat announcement. Picture: Glenn Hampson

The Bulletin asked Mr Miles whether he would also intervene to reopen any of the three Gold Coast facilities as part of the multimillion-dollar pledge.

“The 10 new police beat will be positioned in high-growth areas, as recommended by oolice,” a spokeswoman for Mr Miles said.

“If elected, the Miles Labor government will work with Police to investigate opportunities for enhanced resources.”

Labor refused to reveal the cost of each police beat, or whether the government would match a commitment by the LNP to establish a new shopfront on the Southern Gold Coast.

More than $4 million has been committed by the LNP’s Burleigh candidate Hermann Vorster towards a community safety package, which would include a dedicated police beat at Burleigh Heads.

“The LNP has no credibility when it comes to policing in Burleigh Heads,” the Premier’s spokeswoman said.

“When last in government, they scrapped a planned Burleigh Heads police beat.”

The Queensland Police Service’s annual reports show 43 police beats have been closed since June 2016 while Labor has been in power.

Internal communications, viewed by the Bulletin, revealed at the time that the Queensland Police Service (QPS) decided to close the police beat at Pacific Fair, the state’s largest shopping centre, it rejected a $1 a year rent offer and free utilities from centre management.

A senior officer who was aware of the circumstances surrounding the closure, said it was an “unpopular” decision but said police were told the funding needed to be “prioritised elsewhere” across the state.

The Gold Coast’s only remaining shopping centre police beat at Harbour Town in Biggera Waters hasn’t been immune from the cuts, with one approved officer position quietly cut, leaving a sole officer to cover the retail hub.