By TANIA PHILLIPS
THE Tweed CBD is firming up as the likely location for a new headquarters for the Tweed Byron Police Local Area Command, with an announcement expected to be made within weeks.
Speculation has been mounting for months as to the location of a new headquarters for Tweed police after plans to build a new station on Marine Parade at Kingscliff were scuttled in the courts late last year.
Police officers have long called for a new headquarters as they continue to burst at the seams at their present site in Recreation Street, Tweed Heads, beside the magistrates’ courthouse.
They had argued for a more central location to manage their command which stretches from the Queensland border down to Byron Bay.
Tweed MP Geoff Provest, who was elected to office on a platform of increased police numbers, said negotiations were almost complete on securing new land for the command.
“I was hoping the announcement would come before this,” Mr Provest said.
“There has been a lot of movement looking at a number of sites. At this point in time there is a bit of an emphasis on the Tweed CBD.”
Mr Provest refused to be drawn on the exact location of the new station but rumours include the site of the current Rivers complex in Wharf Street.
The State Government has allocated $15 million to the project, although $1 million has been wasted on the failed Kingscliff bid.
Mr Provest said the new command would likely be a multi-storey structure, with some funds to be used to either revamp the existing courthouse or build a new one.
“The courthouse and the police station were built in the mid-’70s by Twin Towns Services Club – originally they were where the resort is now,” he said.
“I think the new police station needs to be adjacent to, hopefully, a new court house.
“I am hopeful we can commence work before the end of the year – it has gone on far too long. I just want to get on with it because numerous times when I am over at the current police station you can often see hard-working men and women double bunking, sharing desks and things like that.
“I think we owe it to them to give them the best possible resources to protect our community.”
Tweed Shire councillor Carolyn Byrne, who led the fight against the new station in Marine Parade, said Kingscliff residents were anxious the issue was settled.
“We are all waiting desperately for an announcement,” Cr Byrne said.
“That LAC centre upgrade is needed for the police. We know that Kingscliff is off the agenda but it would be nice to know where it is going to give some relief to the community.”
