By Raquel Mustillo
A LONG-DELAYED SA Police regional policing review – which suggests the consolidation of all one and two-person stations and the closure of “unviable” sites – is in its final stages with draft recommendations now being prepared for Commissioner Grant Stevens.
However, SA Police said it is unable to provide a time frame on the completion of the final report.
Earlier this year, The Border Watch revealed the review – obtained under Freedom of Information – proposes that all single and dual person police stations will be clustered and subject to individual review based on a number of factors including vacancy, condition of infrastructure and suitability of local housing.
Demand for police services, population decline, a cost benefit assessment, officer attraction and retention, and a “Regional Impact Assessment” were among the other factors flagged as determining a station’s ongoing viability.
“Where it is assessed that it is not viable to maintain a station, it will be in due course closed and the position will be moved to the primary location in that cluster to maintain service delivery,” the regional review said.
At this week’s Grant District Council meeting, elected members authorised chief executive Darryl Whicker to meet with Police Minister Vincent Tarzia, Limestone Coast Police Superintendent Campbell Hill and Mount Gambier MP Troy Bell to seek further information regarding an updated status for the Port MacDonnell Police Station which is being considered under the review.
Grant mayor Richard Sage said any closure or reduction of police services in Port MacDonnell would be disappointing given the population swell in the coastal town during summer.
The future of the Beachport, Lucindale and Kalangadoo police stations is also under a cloud, with the report flagging reviews of all one and two officer stations – which also includes Robe and Kingston.
Wattle Range mayor and former police officer Des Noll has suggested it is unlikely that a permanent officer will be reinstated at the Kalangadoo Police Station – which has been unstaffed for four years – with Millicent and Penola officers providing coverage of the area.
Mr Noll said SA Police had instated a permanent police officer at the Beachport station but he remained concerned about the future of the Kalangadoo and Lucindale police stations.
“I’ll be seeking a meeting with [MacKillop MP] Nick McBride about this report and asking how long does it have to take because it has been years since this report has been underway,” he said.
“It’s very unlikely they are going to reopen the Kalangadoo Police Station and they should just make a decision now.
“I will also raise concerns with the potential closure of the Lucindale station, which is not in our patch, but is an important single-officer station in the region.
“It’s just not good enough.”
