The state government has announced it will build a new police station in Mernda on the corner of Bridge Inn Road and Pimpinella Pass.
A sign was erected on Tuesday notifying passers-by of the station’s future home on Bridge Inn Road, within walking distance of the Plenty and Bridge Inn roads round-about.
The station will operate on a 24-hour basis and will house uniformed officers, a family violence unit, a criminal investigation unit, a divisional response unit and administrative staff.
Police Minister Wade Noonan and Yan Yean MP Danielle Green were at the site on Wednesday morning to announce that construction would begin next year and was forecast to be completed by mid-2017.
The land was purchased from property developers RCL Group on Tuesday. The company is currently building the nearly completed Renaissance Rise development and also recently sold the state government another parcel of nearby land for the future Mernda P-12 school.
RCL Group development manager Angus Ramsay said the state government should own the 1.3-hectare site before the end of the year.
“They came to us recently wanting to have a chat about suitable sites in the area,” he said. ‘This seemed ideal.”
Mernda Needs a Police Station campaign spearhead Tom Joseph said he was thrilled the state government had followed through on an election commitment to build the station in its first term of government.
“It’s ideally located between Mernda and Doreen,” he said. “I really wanted it somewhere in this area.”
Mr Joseph, who started the campaign for a police station in Mernda or Doreen almost two years ago, said that Wednesday’s announcement was a huge victory for the community.
President of the Whittlesea Agricultural Society and Whittlesea Neighbourhood Watch volunteer John Kreitling said news that the future station would operate on a 24-hour basis was a coup for Whittlesea township.
“It will take the load of Whittlesea police,” he said. “And it’s in a great position because it’s easily accessible.”
Ms Green commended Mr Joseph on his enthusiasm and commitment to the community-driven campaign.
She said a local police station would help police combat increasing reports of family violence in the area.
“The people of Mernda and Doreen have waited a long time for this new station, and I am proud this government has listened to them.”
Neither Mr Noonan or Acting Whittlesea Inspector Lindsay Cook were able to comment on the exact number of uniformed police to be based at the new station at this point in time.
