Keeping Tasmanian communities safe is the highest priority for the Rockliff Liberal Government which is why we are investing record amounts into infrastructure for our police and emergency services.
Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management, Felix Ellis, said that one of our most significant investments to support victim survivors is our new wrap-around Arch Centres.
"We have already invested $15.1 million for two new Arch Centres for victim survivors in Northern and Southern Tasmania which were opened in July. Last night a further $5 million in funding was approved by State Parliament for a new North-West Arch Centre, which was a key recommendation by the Commission of Inquiry to support victim survivors of sexual violence," Minister Ellis said.
"This is part of our record $730 million in additional funding into supporting Tasmania Police since forming Government in 2014 to ensure there are more police helping to keep our communities safer.
"And the benefit is clear to see – we are at record numbers of police in Tasmania, we have more police staff per head of population than the national average, the highest percentage of female police staff in the country, and we are above the national average in public satisfaction with policing.
"We have worked hard to make Tasmania Police an employer of choice and we continue to meet and exceed our recruitment goals with our largest ever recruit graduation occurring last month.
"One of our exciting projects is the $7.5 million St Helens Police Station – the Divisional Headquarters for the East Coast Region (including Fingal, St Marys and Flinders Island).
"Tasmanian firm HBV were awarded the Architectural Services contract for the design of the new St Helens Police Station – again continuing to support Tasmanian jobs.
"The station will include a modern conference room, major incident room, and taskforce space. It will also provide multiple interview rooms, including soft interview rooms for victims or witnesses of crimes.
"At this stage, this new facility is expected to be completed in April 2025, ahead of schedule."
Other Tasmanian Liberal Government investments in infrastructure upgrades include:
- $12 million for the Sorell Emergency Services Hub, opened in March this year and providing police, fire and emergency services with a state-of-the-art facility to support this growing region;
- $12.5 million for a new Bridgewater Police Station upgrade, with designs released this month showing how we will be able to support the 78 police allocated to this station;
- $7 million for the Launceston Police Station Upgrade, finished in July this year and supporting our largest 24/7 station;
- $1 million for the Rosebery Police Station Upgrade, with local architects appointed and a development application now approved;
- $5 million for a new Longford Police Station, opened in March 2022, and representing significant investment in our Northern Region;
- $5 million for a new New Norfolk Police Station, opened in February 2022, and available to support the additional police allocated to New Norfolk by this Government;
- $4.6 million to upgrade facilities for our Special Operations Group in the North and South of Tasmania;
- $22.9 million to upgrade police housing, with more than 62 police residences now upgraded in regional areas of Tasmania;
- $6.5 million for our Emergency Management Centre, opened in July 2022 and used to support the October 2022 floods, and more recently to support the Coles Bay Road Fires, and other emergency events; and
- $4.1 million to upgrade the Tasmania Police Academy, to support more recruits through this facility.
"While the previous Labor-Green Government cut Tasmania Police by 10 per cent and the supporting State Service by 25 per cent, we have rebuilt Tasmania Police to record number.
"The Rockliff Liberal Government is absolutely focused on delivering our long-term plan for all Tasmanians which includes record investment into police and emergency services infrastructure to keep our communities safe," Minister Ellis said.
