New police station for Napier

CHANGING WITH THE TIMES: Construction on a new $5.5 million Napier police station is progressing well. PHOTO/PAUL TAYLOR

Construction reigns on the corner of Station St, as a new Napier police station is built as part of a $24 million revitalisation of police stations in the twin cities.

The 50-year-old, three-storey hub for Napier police will be replaced with a new multi million building - while it will be a single story, its footprint on the corner is significant.

The station's old cells, vehicle garages and other outbuildings on the site have already been demolished.

Since construction on the new $5.5 million station began in April, Hawkes' Bay area commander Inspector Tania Kura said Napier Police were maintaining a close relationship with the site manager, and was confident the progress on the new police station was on-track to ensure it is delivered on time.

The new building is expected to be completed and in use by December.

Although it has been referred to as a "satellite station" this is not the case.

"This is an operational police station that has the current capacity of the existing station but with further enhancements to modernise and better align the workspace to the needs of our staff and communities," Ms Kura said.

It would be a modern equivalent of the previous station, she said, which would allow for a better use of police resources to continue serving communities.

Eastern District Commander Superintendent Sandra Venables said there would be 62 police staffed at the Napier station, with another eight community constables in the Maraenui area.

Ms Venables, who has been able to watch the buildings progress through her office window, said the new station was a huge opportunity for Napier police.

"The community, I hope, will be proud of it for years to come," she said.

The station's open plan environment would allow for easier information sharing of information, while enabling staff to work in a more collaborative way.

"The new station will also have updated facilities that offer more appropriate spaces for accommodating victims, especially when they are going through traumatic or difficult situations," Ms Kura said, "There will also be space allocated to some of our strategic partners including Victim Support, Community Patrol, and local Maori Wardens to continue to the excellent relationship between the organisations."

At least one feature of the old station will remain - Ms Venables said the memorial garden for slain officers would be reinstated at the site.

Unlike the old station, there will be no cells on site, meaning Napier police's current arrangement of taking people in custody to the Hastings Police Station would remain.

However Ms Kura said the use of centralised custody was not unique to the Hawke's Bay area, and had been noted by Hawke's Bay police in other districts.

This station is one phase of the Hawkes Bay rebuild.

The Hastings station, also built in the early 1960s, will be demolished, with design for a multiple-floored Eastern District and Hawke's Bay area police headquarters in Hastings already underway. It is expected to cost about $19 million.

A Police National Headquarters Spokesperson said police were contributing $24 million to the building of these two new stations, which are the only new Police stations planned in the country in the coming year, other than the ongoing Justice Sector Precinct in Christchurch.

"This is a considerable investment by Police in Hawkes Bay area," he said.

"Police see the investment and building of two new stations as a great opportunity to ensure our police staff are fully equipped with a modern working environment to support the excellent work they do," Ms Kura said.