Gunnedah Police Station upgrade complete
Gunnedah's new $8.2 million police station is now fully operational.
The administration building was completed and officially opened in December 2018 but the holding facility was still under construction at the time.
The construction crew cleared off site recently and the holding facility was in use by February 28.
Read also:
The facility includes a secured van dock, two large cells, a number of docks, an interview room and a meeting room. A secure, enclosed walkway from the holding facility to Gunnedah Court House was also constructed.
Inspector Michael Wurth said the new station was "operationally finished" but there were still some "teething problems" to address, including maintenance and waterproofing after the weekend's deluge required a visit from Gunnedah SES.
Inspector Wurth said the new station was "far more secure" then the original station, which was built in 1963.
"It's a far better facility to what we had before, not only for police to work out of, but providing service to people in the community."
Inspector Wurth said the holding facility had more holding cells than the original building, and contained better hygiene facilities for people in custody.
"It's a more conducive environment for people coming into our custody and care for a time," he said.
The secure walkway from Gunnedah Police Station to the Gunnedah Courthouse.
Inspector Wurth said the enclosed walkway to the courthouse provided another layer of security for police and people in custody because it eliminated the risk of "potential interference from the public".
The police inspector said the new station was "built for the future".
"It's built for expansion in the future if there is a need for extra police here," he said.