Cramped quarters will soon be a thing of the past for Wanaka police following an announcement yesterday that plans for the town's long-awaited new police station have been approved by Police National Headquarters.
Details of its estimated cost were "commercially sensitive and confidential", Wanaka sub-area commander Senior Sergeant Allan Grindell said.
The 500sq m facility, designed by Wanaka architect Niko Young, of Parker Warburton Team Architects, is planned for Ballantyne Rd, below the Department of Conservation (Doc) building. It could be open by late next year.
The process to transfer the Doc-owned land to New Zealand Police is under way. A resource consent application for the station will be lodged with the Queenstown Lakes District Council within the next few weeks.
Snr Sgt Grindell said the new station would allow easy expansion for future growth.
"As well as an operational centre for local police, including PoliceSAR and special operations activities, it will also be an excellent facility for use by LandSAR," he said.
"We are trying to involve the community more with our crime and crash reduction and this station, with its meeting room and operations room and everything else ... [will] help us carry out those functions."
The station's custodial facilities will include secure prisoner transfer into short-term holding facilities, a charge room, excess breath-alcohol facilities, video interview rooms and a medical examination room. The building will also have stand-alone capabilities for up to 48 hours, with features such as potable water and back-up power supply.
The community can learn more about the project and view the concept design plans at an information exhibition at the Lake Wanaka Centre, on Saturday, September 3, between 11am and 2pm.
A request from the Southern police district for a new police station at Mosgiel was put forward at the same time as the request for the Wanaka station.
Police said yesterday a new station at Mosgiel was not on the active capital works programme.
