By Alesha Capone
The state opposition has announced a $9 million commitment to build a police station in Point Cook if the Liberals win the state election on November 24.
Opposition leader Matthew Guy made the announcement while visiting Point Cook this morning, where he said the station would be operational for 16 hours a day.
He said the station would also have a 24-hour van to patrol the Point Cook area.
In May, the state government released its annual budget which included $41.4 million in funding to acquire land for a new police station at Point Cook and relocate the East Melbourne Police Station into a new building. The budget did not state how much out of the $41.4 million would be dedicated to each project. However Mr Guy said the state government has only allocated enough money to purchase land for the Point Cook police station, not pay for its construction.
He said that in contrast, the $9 million in funding promised by the Opposition would pay for both the land construction of the station.
Mr Guy said a site for the future police station was still being “scoped” but that it would be built within Point Cook’s activity centre.
He said it would be up to Victoria Police to decide how many police would be based at the station, but that an increased police presence in the suburb would increase resident’s safety.
He said that establishing a 16-hour police station in Point Cook would “certainly” mean that it could potentially become a 24-hour station in the future.
