Police commissioner Mike Bush yesterday announced where 880 additional police officers would be deployed over the next four years under the Government's $388 million investment in policing.
The Southern district would receive 37 officers, as well as four additional stations in the district maintaining a 24/7 police presence.
Southern district commander Superintendent Paul Basham said it was good news for the district and the country.
''If you take a step back and think about the totality of the package and what it means for New Zealand and our colleagues around the country, today is a really good day,'' he said.
The first of the new deployments in the district would be on the ground by March next year.
''The projections are between now and March there are 25 police recruits that will go through the Police College and end up in our district,'' he said.
''The bulk of those will be offsetting normal attrition, but a portion of those will make up a contribution to the first year's cut of that 37.''
It was too early to comment on where or when the officers would be deployed.
But Supt Basham said rather than seeing it as a deployment of 37 people over four years, it was an investment in Southern police which took the total number of officers and staff in the district to about 680.
Commissioner Bush announced yesterday the Balclutha police station would go to 24/7 operations in the 2018-19 financial year, followed by Wanaka the year after.
Alexandra and a yet-to-be-decided Southland rural station would have a 24/7 police presence by the end of the 2020-21 financial year.
Police Association southern regional director Mike Thomas, of Wanaka, said the new officers announced for the district were ''over and above'' the expectations of the association.
''It's a fantastic result for the Southern district and it will certainly help those areas, especially Otago Lakes-Central, where there are some pressures due to tourism and population growth,'' he said.
Balclutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan lauded the decision to increase the police presence in Balclutha.
''There's more of a sophistication to the criminal element [in the area now]. There's more of a gang presence. It's good to have something to tackle that and the 24/7 operations will help. It's needed and appreciated.''
His thoughts were echoed by Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan and Queenstown Lakes deputy mayor Calum MacLeod, of Wanaka.
The Southern district would also receive one of 12 mobile policing units announced in the plan, which would provide required policing services.
Supt Basham said he had seen firsthand in Wellington the positive effects of that type of policing.
''My sense is this district is incredibly well poised to meet the challenges in the next two to three years,'' he said.
