Media Release by The Hon Jenny Macklin MP

New police station for remote NT community

Joint Media Release with:

  • Warren Snowdon MP, Minister for Indigenous Health, Member for Lingiari

A new police station in the remote Northern Territory community of Yarralin in the Victoria River District will help keep families and children safe by providing a comprehensive and rapid police response to local people in the area.

Three Northern Territory police officers will be based at the police station, which was officially opened today.

They will provide a permanent police presence to serve the 300 residents of Yarralin, some 280km south-west of Katherine in the Victoria River region.

The Australian Government has funded the construction of the Yarralin Police Station as part of its $141.2 million commitment over three years (2009-10 to 2011-12) to remote policing initiatives in the Northern Territory.

These initiatives include:

  • Building permanent police stations in five remote communities
  • Deploying an additional 60 police officers across the Northern Territory
  • Upgrading the Police College
  • Establishing the Substance Abuse Intelligence Desk
  • Establishing the Dog Operations Unit
  • Establishing the Child Abuse Task Force

The Yarralin Police Station is the first of the five new stations to have been completed. The remaining four will be built at Gapuwiyak, Ramingining, Arlparra, and Imanpa by June 2012.

The new station complex includes police accommodation and custodial facilities, as well as rooms for visiting agencies, such as child protection and family support services. It also has the capacity to be used as a temporary courtroom.

Under the Northern Territory Emergency Response, temporary police stations were established in 18 remote communities. The additional police presence has been welcomed by residents, and has had a positive impact on promoting community safety.

The Australian Government has been working with the Northern Territory Government to ensure the protection of women and children, reduce alcohol-fuelled violence and promote personal responsibility and community norms.

Community safety and policing are key elements of the Australian Government’s commitment to Closing the Gap on Indigenous Disadvantage.