Leichhardt police to stay in Glebe

The NSW police confirmed in a meeting last week that it will not relocate the Local Area Command (LAC) hub from Glebe to Leichhardt.

Speaking at the Leichhardt Precinct Committee meeting on June 13, Superintendent Darryl Tuck of the NSW Police Properties Group confirmed the proposal for the establishment of the LAC in Leichhardt was voluntarily withdrawn late last year due to the inability to satisfy parking conditions set by the Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRRP). The site was to occupy 29 Derbyshire Rd.

The JRPP required the establishment of more than double the proposed parking spaces.

He said there are no current plans for the site, which is still owned by NSW Police.

Mr Tuck said the property could be sold, or used for another police project. Any new development would require a new proposal. He promised improved community consultation.

The police are instead moving the LAC hub to a former courthouse across the street from its current premises in Talfourd St, Glebe. The venue has been leased from the state Attorney General.

Operational staff will remain in their current site. The move has resulted from an increase in personnel numbers.

Mr Tuck described this outcome as “sub-standard”. The money proposed for the Leichhardt project has been designated to other ventures.

Leichhardt Mayor Rochelle Porteous said she would welcome a LAC in Leichhardt but it would have to be appropriate for surrounding stakeholders.

As a member of the JRPP, Ms Porteous opposed the proposal.

She joined many residents in stating that parking was only one of their concerns. Others included heritage issues, safety and police vehicle usage of shared zones, 40km per hour zones and traffic issues. Residents also raised concerns about the project’s proximity to a nearby school and playground.

One resident, frustrated by the news, asked about the resulting impact on crime in the area.

The Leichhardt LAC commander Superintendent Michael O’ Toole, was in attendance and said police response time would not change.

He added that crime rates in NSW had decreased over the last twelve months.

The confirmation from police brings to a close an 18-month fight with local residents and representatives, who said they received notification of the proposal only a few days before Christmas in 2010.