Water Ingress at the Winchester Police Centre – AGAIN

21 January 2025

The Australian Federal Police Association (AFPA) has expressed outrage over the continued water ingress at the ACT Policing Winchester Centre following last week’s rain, despite tens of thousands of dollars already spent on restoration and repairs to address the issue.

AFPA President Alex Caruana stated that the ACT Government must do more to ensure suitable accommodation for ACT Policing and its members.

“This is yet another instance of significant water damage at the Winchester Police Centre. This has become an annual issue, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise considering the building’s poor history,” Mr Caruana said.

“This reflects years of neglect and inadequate funding for police accommodation by the ACT Government, endangering the lives of our members,” he added.

The AFPA is urging the ACT Government to accelerate the construction of a new ACT Policing headquarters and City Police Station.

“A new ACT Policing headquarters and City Police Station should be a priority, and the ACT Government needs to treat it as such,” Mr Caruana emphasised.

“It’s outrageous that ACT Policing members are forced to work under these conditions and face these risks. If I were part of the Canberra Liberals, one of my first questions to the Minister for Police would be how much has been spent on repairing the Winchester Police Centre over the past decade? The figure would be absurd, considering the repeated attempts to patch up a building that is no longer fit for purpose.”

“Accommodation issues for ACT Policing are widespread. We’re still waiting on an expanded Gungahlin Police Station, City Station was closed for an extended period in 2024, and the Winchester Police Centre continues to leak. Woden Station also faces significant air-conditioning issues, requiring a complete overhaul of the system.”

“The current state of ACT Policing accommodation is a mess. A new ACT Policing Headquarters and City Police Station should be a priority over building a new station in the Molonglo Valley. Why build a new station when we can’t even maintain the existing ones?”

“At this point, I am seriously considering exploring our legal options, including issuing a provisional improvement notice and potentially shutting down the Winchester Police Centre until the issues are properly addressed,” Mr Caruana concluded.

To view the footage, please visit https://www.facebook.com/reel/587300310770875.

For comments:

AFPA Media and Government Relations Manager Troy Roberts – (02) 6285 1677 – troy.r@afpa.org.au

The Australian Federal Police Association (AFPA) has expressed outrage over the continued water ingress at the ACT Policing Winchester Centre following last week’s rain, despite tens of thousands of dollars already spent on restoration and repairs to address the issue.

AFPA President Alex Caruana stated that the ACT Government must do more to ensure suitable accommodation for ACT Policing and its members.

“This is yet another instance of significant water damage at the Winchester Police Centre. This has become an annual issue, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise considering the building’s poor history,” Mr Caruana said.

“This reflects years of neglect and inadequate funding for police accommodation by the ACT Government, endangering the lives of our members,” he added.

The AFPA is urging the ACT Government to accelerate the construction of a new ACT Policing headquarters and City Police Station.

“A new ACT Policing headquarters and City Police Station should be a priority, and the ACT Government needs to treat it as such,” Mr Caruana emphasised.

“It’s outrageous that ACT Policing members are forced to work under these conditions and face these risks. If I were part of the Canberra Liberals, one of my first questions to the Minister for Police would be how much has been spent on repairing the Winchester Police Centre over the past decade? The figure would be absurd, considering the repeated attempts to patch up a building that is no longer fit for purpose.”

“Accommodation issues for ACT Policing are widespread. We’re still waiting on an expanded Gungahlin Police Station, City Station was closed for an extended period in 2024, and the Winchester Police Centre continues to leak. Woden Station also faces significant air-conditioning issues, requiring a complete overhaul of the system.”

“The current state of ACT Policing accommodation is a mess. A new ACT Policing Headquarters and City Police Station should be a priority over building a new station in the Molonglo Valley. Why build a new station when we can’t even maintain the existing ones?”

“At this point, I am seriously considering exploring our legal options, including issuing a provisional improvement notice and potentially shutting down the Winchester Police Centre until the issues are properly addressed,” Mr Caruana concluded.

To view the footage, please visit https://www.facebook.com/reel/587300310770875.

For comments:

AFPA Media and Government Relations Manager Troy Roberts – (02) 6285 1677 – troy.r@afpa.org.au

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