Inner West worried over Leichhardt LAC

The proposed relocation of the Police Local Area Command Centre (LAC) from Glebe to Leichhardt has residents of the inner west worried.

Residents of Glebe fear that the relocation will result in a decrease in police presence and reaction time and residents of Leichhardt are angered by what they are calling “zero consultation” from police and developers about the structure and location of the DA.

The $12 million station would be built in Derbyshire Street Leichhardt. The DA is for a three-storey modern building capable of housing over 300 Police staff and would operate 24 hours a day seven days a week.

Teena Clerke is a concerned resident who lives near the proposed site of the DA. Ms Clerke said that while the residents she had talked to supported a police presence in Leichhardt they believed the DA was not appropriate.

The communities’ concerns were threefold;  the proposed site was not suitable for a development of the LAC’s size, the staff required to man the LAC would require police from other stations across the inner west therefore reducing police presence in other suburbs, and finally that the DA may be pushed through by the Minister for Planning Brad Hazzard without the approval of Council or the Joint Regional Planning Panel.

In a letter to Leichhardt Councillors, Elizabeth Richardson, Managers Assessments of Leichhardt Council writes; “Under the EP & A Act, as it is a ‘Crown’ DA, the applicant is entitled to have the application referred to the Minister for Planning for determination if the JRPP has not determined it within 70 days of lodgement. The applicant has advised Council that this is what they are intending to do, bypassing the JRPP process.”

The new State Government has abolished the controversial Part 3A legislation but Ms Clerke said there remained a real chance that the DA may be approved by Mr Hazzard without the consent of Leichhardt Council or the JRPP.

“The developers have given Council notice that post 3A they would bypass the JRPP and go directly to the new minister,” Ms Clerke said.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen, we’re not sure if the Minister will approve or disapprove of it without any consultation whatsoever with the local community, Council hasn’t even had the opportunity to present their assessment of the proposal.”

Another issue raised by residents was whether police presence in Glebe and Balmain would be affected should staff be moved to the new LAC.

“If you look at the number of staff in Balmain and Glebe police stations currently there are less than 200,” Ms Clerke said. “The proposed LAC has a capacity of over 300 staff, from where are they taking these staff? And what implications does that have for policing in the inner west generally.

“No one in Glebe or Balmain knows about this and the implications it could have, and those who do know have had vague reassurances that they won’t be disadvantaged, but the fact is that the response time to Glebe will be increased.”

The Independent tried to contact Mr Hazzard and the NSW Police Force several times over a two week period but not reply was received before the Independent went to print.