Member for Terrigal and Shadow Minister for the Central Coast, Chris Hartcher, has today condemned the NSW Labor government for another false promise to the residents of Kincumber and the Peninsula after a Question on Notice has exposed yet another Labor con.

“In November 2007, Police Minister David Campbell handed over a $100,000 police van to Brisbane Water Local Area Command for use as a mobile police station, while the $1.4 million Kincumber Police Station remained empty and unused,” said Mr Hartcher.

“Hailed as a one-stop cop-shop the “difference with this piece of equipment is that it can go from location to location (and) they can do that in fairly quick time”[1].

When presenting the ‘van’, to be used as a mobile police station, Central Coast people were told;

• The van would be used at crime hot-spots such as Umina Beach, Woy Woy and Kincumber;
• The van would carry up to six Police officers and would give them the ability to process offenders at the scene;
• That unlike Kincumber Police Station, the van would not go to waste.

“Two years later and another broken promise  - the Government admits there is no mobile police station,” said Mr Hartcher.

In response to a Question on Notice by Chris Hartcher (No. 7753 attached) asking if a ‘Mobile Police Station’ operated in Brisbane Water Local Area Command: the answer, was “NO”.

Hence the response to the second question about what locations, length of stay, complaints recorded and number of officers based in the mobile police station: the answer, was “Not Applicable”.

“The residents of the Central Coast, particularly those from Kincumber and the Peninsula, are sick and tired of Labor’s misleading announcements with no substance.

“Just like Kincumber Fire Station in 2000, Bob Carr’s fast train, the new OSCAR trains, commuter car parking, Warnervale train station and town centre, and the F3 to M2 Link, this incompetent NSW Labor government is incapable of following through on any of their promises.

“It is clear that this ‘van’ is not used as a mobile police station - which is what was promised when Labor closed and then sold Kincumber Police Station.

“The ‘van’, now labelled a ‘Command Unit’, is just a ‘community promotional unit’.

“I challenge the Minister for Police to release the statistics on where the ‘van’ has been used on the Central Coast, for what purpose and how many Police use it.

“Why wasn’t the ‘van’ used at Terrigal Haven on Australia Day this year? Why hasn’t it been used in Umina as a Station? Why hasn’t it been used in Woy Woy and Kincumber as a Mobile Police Station?

“The Minister for the Central Coast who is the Premier, needs to answer, when will he end his own Government’s ‘spin’, and deliver legitimate services to the Central Coast?” Mr Hartcher said.

END

Question on Notice

7753—MOBILE POLICE STATION 

Mr Chris Hartcher to the Minister for Planning, and Minister for Redfern Waterloo representing the Minister for Police, Minister for Lands, and Minister for Rural Affairs -

1.      Does a mobile police station operate in Brisbane Water Local Area command?

2.      If so:

a.      At which localities was it stationed at in 2007 and 2008?

b.      How long was it based at each locality?

c.      How many complaints were recorded at each locality?

d.      How many sworn officers are based at the station and what rank is each officer?

 Answer -

The NSW Police Force has advised me:

1.      No.

2.      Not Applicable.

Question asked on 11 September 2009 (session 54-1) and published in Questions & Answers Paper No. 153.
Answer received on 15 October 2009 and printed in Questions & Answers Paper No. 159.

[1] Minister for Police, David Campbell - Central Coast Express Advocate – 14 November 2007 – ‘Mobile Station’ page 12.