Another promise for new Helensburgh police station

Heathcote MP Lee Evans had made it a habit of promising at election time to upgrade the local station, as far back as his first campaign back in 2007.

In 2018, Mr Evans and then Police Minister Troy Grant were on-site to announce $1.5 million in funds for an upgrade.

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"This funding will enable a new police station to be built on the current site," Mr Evans said.

On Friday, it was Labor's turn - in the form of Heathcote candidate Maryanne Stuart and party police spokesman Paul Scully - to stand in front of the station and promise money.

This time it is $6 million from a Labor government to build a "fit for purpose" police station at Helensburgh.

"They've been neglected in this community for the past 12 years," Ms Stuart said.

"They've been forgotten for the past 12 years,. This is a very important issue for the community here."

However, there was no firm commitment on when the work would start - just that it would be some time over the next three years.

And may not be finished until some time after that.

"Work on the upgrade will start to take place within our first term," Mr Scully said.

"We'll look to be building it and completing the upgrade works as quickly as we possibly can."

Mr Scully said the commitment did not come with a promise of more police officers to staff it, stating staffing was a matter for the police commissioner.

"What we're doing is making sure there is a fit-for-purpose facility available to police," Mr Scully said.

"The current demountable that is sitting here and that has sat here neglected for the past 12 years is not fit for the policing task in front of our men and women in our police force."

Mr Scully said the Parliamentary Budget Office had costed a development of the Helensburgh police station at $6 million.

"The exact design would be done in conjunction with police so it meets their needs as part of the policing facilities within the Wollongong local area command," Mr Scully said.

Warwick Erwin, the convenor of the area neighbourhood forum for Wollongong City Council, said the police station had been the source of empty promises by state governments for years.

"Labor can promise anything leading up to the election, but delivering if they are voted in is totally different," Mr Erwin said.

He also called for action on a range of other concerns, including the condition of Lawrence Hargrave Drive and the Bald Hill T-intersection, as well as hoons driving through Darkes Forest.

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