Police officers will be trained to bring down armed attackers – such as those involved in terrorism incidents – at the defunct Dapto TAFE campus, the state government has revealed.

NSW Police will lease the campus for the next three years, a move that ends months of speculation about the site’s future and ensures it remains public hands.

“NSW Police will use the site and its existing facilities to deliver comprehensive and practical training to equip our officers with the skills they need to protect and serve communities across the state,” NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Police Troy Grant told the Mercury. 

Mr Grant said the campus would be used for “active armed offender training” to help meet the operational, business and training needs of police. According to NSW Police, its active armed offender training program is designed to equip officers with the additional skills needed if they are first on scene at a counter-terrorism or related incident.

Officers train to immediately bring down an armed offender rather than “contain and negotiate”. 

Minister for Skills John Barilaro described the move as a win-win for the Dapto community, TAFE NSW and police. Proceeds from the lease would be reinvested into TAFE to improve local services and facilities, Mr Barilaro said. 

Parliamentary secretary for the Illawarra Gareth Ward said he had fought for the “best possible re-use” of the Dapto facility. 

“I’m very pleased this re-use will see more jobs in our region and ensure that an important public asset is utilised to its fullest extent,” he said.  After campaigning to keep TAFE’s presence in the suburb, Shellharbour MP Anna Watson last month conceded Dapto campus’ days as a vocational education provider were over.

The MP’s focus shifted to saving the site from sale, including a push for Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) – a provider of education to children with autism – to use part of the campus. 

Ms Watson described the police lease as “a bittersweet moment”. “We have certainly saved the Dapto TAFE campus from being grabbed by greedy developers,” she said.

“But it represents a lost opportunity for children with autism in the Illawarra. The … site would have made an ideal new home for Aspect.”

Access to TAFE services in Dapto will be provided via a new interactive learning centre in the CBD.