The Minister for Police Mark Ryan MP and Commissioner Ian Stewart today attended the opening of the new Gordonvale Police Station.
The Gordonvale Station services an area from Edmonton to Babinda, up the Gillies to Yungaburra and west to Yarrabah.
The new station has a capacity for 20 general duty personal and an investigative unit of four Detectives to provide services for the growth this area will experience.
The Police Minister said the Queensland Police Service was always looking at ways to deliver a higher level of service to each and every community across Queensland.
"The opening of this new station is both a continuation of the long history of service the Queensland police have offered in Gordonvale over the years, and a bold step into the future as a world-class police service," the Minister said.
Speaker of the Queensland Parliament and Member for Mulgrave, Curtis Pitt said, "I have advocated tirelessly for a new Police Station for our booming southern corridor.
"The station’s access to the upgraded Bruce Highway in both directions will allow faster response to all communities of the Southern Corridor."
The old Gordonvale Station, which had been commissioned in the 1930s, had provided policing services to the community for almost 88 years. Two former deceased Gordonvale police officers were remembered during this ceremony. Senior Constable Desmond Trannore who was killed on duty October 27, 1964, and a memorial plaque in his honour was relocated to below the flag pole outside the new station. Senior Constable Gene Duane Poole who died off duty of natural causes on March 30, 2013, was honoured with a plaque and the affectionate naming of the recreation/briefing room as "The Poole Room".
Mr Pitt said, "the new police station has already become a key part of the Gordonvale community.
"The memorial of former Gordonvale Police Officers, Des Trannore and Gene Poole now makes it part of the heart of Gordonvale."
Commissioner Ian Stewart said this new station shows the QPS commitment to responding to the unique needs of communities throughout Queensland.
"As the station serves a wide area, it became necessary to offer larger-scale and future-proofed policing services, which this new station will allow us to do," Commissioner Stewart said.
The new station was funded for $4.5 million and was completed in late August. Policing transitioned to the new location in September.
