Cessnock City Council voted on Wednesday night to call on the State Government to build new police stations at Cessnock and Kurri Kurri.
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The motion by Labor councillor Anthony Burke asked council’s general manager to write to NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and police minister Troy Grant, and Cessnock MP Clayton Barr to request the new stations and ask when the state government will provide more police officers and resources to the Cessnock local government area.
“After a briefing by Superintendent Craig Jackson it is evident that the officers employed in our LGA work tirelessly within our local community,” Cr Burke said.
“It is also evident that resources are stretched with the growing crime in our community.
“Cessnock is a rapid growth area and along with growth comes a demand on local services.
“The crime in the Cessnock LGA is of real concern and we deserve to have a better police presence in our local community.
“Kurri Kurri Police Station is hardly stationed due to the lack of resources... and Cessnock station is outdated and rundown.”
The letter will question what resources will be provided to the Central Hunter command in the wake of the Cessnock Correctional Centre expansion.
Cr Burke said while he was pleased the jail expansion will bring jobs to Cessnock, he is concerned it will also bring an increase in crime and demand on local services.
“The state government needs to proactive, not reactive about this. Why wait until it’s too late?,” he said.
“The Cessnock LGA deserves better, and our police deserve better.”
Council will also ask that Greta and Branxton – currently part of the Hunter Valley command – be reallocated to the Central Hunter command.
The general manager will also write to the Central Hunter Command to “thank them for their continuous efforts in our local community”.
“The current force working in the Cessnock LGA do a fantastic job protecting our community to the best of their ability, but the current force is stretched and requires more resources from the State Government,” Cr Burke said.
The motion was supported unanimously.
Independent councillor Ian Olsen said the lack of police in Cessnock had been an ongoing issue for many years.
“There’s just not enough money, or the State Governments haven’t been putting money in the right places,” he said.
“We deserve to feel safe. We need more police in our area.”
Liberal councillor Rod Doherty supported the call for new police stations in both towns, and said the new Kurri Kurri station could form part of an emergency services precinct near the Hunter Expressway (with quick access to Branxton and Greta).
“The Kurri Kurri district has close to 20,000 people… I’m quite concerned that our LGA is not covered adequately by police,” he said.
In his column in this week’s Advertiser, Cessnock MP Clayton Barr said he will continue to campaign for a new police station in Cessnock and more police on the beat.
