Final plans for new Whanganui Police Hub due by year’s end

Site preparation for the new Whanganui "justice precinct" is well under way. Photo / Moana Ellis

The design of a new police station as part of a “justice precinct” in Whanganui should be finalised by the end of 2024.

Police national property director Inspector Brian Yanko said the main construction period of the 3000sq m build was expected to begin early next year.

“The design work for the police station is well under way, having completed the developed design stage. The final detailed design stage is on schedule to be completed before the end of the year,” Yanko said.

The Police Hub is being built alongside a $100 million courthouse on the former Ucol polytechnic campus site in the west of Whanganui.

Iwi and hapū are working with the Ministry of Justice and New Zealand Police to develop their vision for Te Puna Hapori, a centralised justice and community wellbeing hub.

“Planning for the new Te Puna Hapori site is ongoing,” Yanko said.

“Discussions between Te Puna Hapori team and the different services that might come to join the kaupapa continue.”

The build is likely to take two and a half to three years and the Police Hub is expected to be operational in mid-2027.

The cost of the new station would not be available until design plans were finalised and costed, Yanko told Local Democracy Reporting.

The project secured $25m of Government funding in 2020 to accelerate planning, and construction was expected to begin last year, but pandemic-related pressures on the construction industry led to delays.

In August 2020, then-Police Minister Stuart Nash said the existing Whanganui Central Police Station was more than 50 years old, “completely outdated” and no longer fit for purpose.

The new station will be the central Police Hub for Whanganui and will provide support to smaller stations in the area.

The Police Hub and courthouse will be built opposite each other on a large block bound by Bell, Dublin, Wicksteed and Liverpool Streets. Health, social and community services will also be located on the site, alongside the marae complex, Rangahaua.

Yanko said the future of the existing police station in the city centre had not yet been decided.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.