❓ The Minister for Police details how the WA recovery plan is investing in upgrading and refurbishing police stations across WA, including specific projects in Fremantle, Belmont, and regional areas, while also criticising the previous government's inaction.
AnsweredQoN 550Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
STATE ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN
550. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the McGowan government's
$5.5 billion recovery plan, which includes a significant investment in
maintaining state government assets. Can the minister update the house on what
the government is doing to provide safer and more modern facilities for our
hardworking police officers, and how this work will support local jobs and
local businesses?
STATE ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN
550. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the McGowan government's
$5.5 billion recovery plan, which includes a significant investment in
maintaining state government assets. Can the minister update the house on what
the government is doing to provide safer and more modern facilities for our
hardworking police officers, and how this work will support local jobs and
local businesses?
AnswerView source ↗
Firstly, I thank the member for
Belmont for her question and for her strong support of police officers in this
state, none more so than the hardworking officers at Belmont Police Station.
The McGowan government is spending
$96.5 million as part of the WA recovery plan to upgrade and refurbish police
stations across Western Australia. This is on top of the $91 million announced
a short while ago, which included funding
for 150 additional police officers. Included in that $96.5 million of recovery
money is $52.6 million that will go towards the construction of a purpose-built
modern policing station in Fremantle, to be built on the Stan Riley Reserve
site on South Terrace near the corner of Parry Street. In 2012, the old
Fremantle Police Station had to be vacated. The station, which was built back
in 1987, was not fit for purpose and also had asbestos issues. The former
government moved the police out into a temporary location in an old bank
building in High Street. That was not fit for purpose at all. It did not meet
modern standards, it did not meet the standards required for custody, and it certainly did not provide secure
parking or a whole range of other issues for our police. Despite that move having been taken in 2012, over the next five years, nothing was done by
the former government. No money was even allocated in the forward estimates for
a well-known problem that needed a resolution and clearly needed significant
money to put in place a proper, fully functioning police station for a major
regional centre. Fremantle has traditionally been second only to Perth in terms
of its significance as a major metropolitan regional centre. We have been
planning it for quite some time, but, finally, through the COVID-19 money that
is part of the recovery package, $52.5 million
has been allocated to get works underway. The first tender for work will go out
in November this year.
On top of that, we are also
allocating $23.5 million to a series of upgrades at police stations. As the
member for Belmont would be aware, that includes $1.5 million for upgrading
Belmont Police Station, which will make a range of improvements, including the
creation of more space so that in future more officers can be located there. There will be $14.5 million towards five
multifunction police stations in regional Western Australia. Unfortunately ,
there have been known issues there with air conditioning and other matters that
have needed to be addressed, and finally they will be addressed. In Fremantle,
too, there will be a new wharf and jetty for the headquarters of the Fremantle
water police at a cost $4.2 million.
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
North West Central, I call you to order for the second time.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Again,
that building has been an issue for quite some years, one that was neglected by
the former government. Rather than trying to repair a pretty much irreparable
old wharf and jetty, our water police will get a new wharf and jetty at a cost
of $4.2 million.
Also, $2 million is allocated for
the remaining WA Police Force analogue radio network in the Kimberley and for
various other maintenance and refurbishment works. This, of course, is in
addition to works that are currently underway. Members, like the member for
Armadale, are well aware that the $85.5 million Armadale police complex is under construction; I know he watches
that on a daily basis and gives me constant updates on the fantastic progress being made there. Of course, very soon, we will, for the member for
Collie–Preston, meet one of his election commitments by opening the new
Capel police station.
Belmont for her question and for her strong support of police officers in this
state, none more so than the hardworking officers at Belmont Police Station.
The McGowan government is spending
$96.5 million as part of the WA recovery plan to upgrade and refurbish police
stations across Western Australia. This is on top of the $91 million announced
a short while ago, which included funding
for 150 additional police officers. Included in that $96.5 million of recovery
money is $52.6 million that will go towards the construction of a purpose-built
modern policing station in Fremantle, to be built on the Stan Riley Reserve
site on South Terrace near the corner of Parry Street. In 2012, the old
Fremantle Police Station had to be vacated. The station, which was built back
in 1987, was not fit for purpose and also had asbestos issues. The former
government moved the police out into a temporary location in an old bank
building in High Street. That was not fit for purpose at all. It did not meet
modern standards, it did not meet the standards required for custody, and it certainly did not provide secure
parking or a whole range of other issues for our police. Despite that move having been taken in 2012, over the next five years, nothing was done by
the former government. No money was even allocated in the forward estimates for
a well-known problem that needed a resolution and clearly needed significant
money to put in place a proper, fully functioning police station for a major
regional centre. Fremantle has traditionally been second only to Perth in terms
of its significance as a major metropolitan regional centre. We have been
planning it for quite some time, but, finally, through the COVID-19 money that
is part of the recovery package, $52.5 million
has been allocated to get works underway. The first tender for work will go out
in November this year.
On top of that, we are also
allocating $23.5 million to a series of upgrades at police stations. As the
member for Belmont would be aware, that includes $1.5 million for upgrading
Belmont Police Station, which will make a range of improvements, including the
creation of more space so that in future more officers can be located there. There will be $14.5 million towards five
multifunction police stations in regional Western Australia. Unfortunately ,
there have been known issues there with air conditioning and other matters that
have needed to be addressed, and finally they will be addressed. In Fremantle,
too, there will be a new wharf and jetty for the headquarters of the Fremantle
water police at a cost $4.2 million.
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
North West Central, I call you to order for the second time.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Again,
that building has been an issue for quite some years, one that was neglected by
the former government. Rather than trying to repair a pretty much irreparable
old wharf and jetty, our water police will get a new wharf and jetty at a cost
of $4.2 million.
Also, $2 million is allocated for
the remaining WA Police Force analogue radio network in the Kimberley and for
various other maintenance and refurbishment works. This, of course, is in
addition to works that are currently underway. Members, like the member for
Armadale, are well aware that the $85.5 million Armadale police complex is under construction; I know he watches
that on a daily basis and gives me constant updates on the fantastic progress being made there. Of course, very soon, we will, for the member for
Collie–Preston, meet one of his election commitments by opening the new
Capel police station.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.