Down at heelers

By Dion Teasdale
THE wait for improved police facilities and services in Yarra Junction looks set to continue.
Police Minister, Tim Holding, confirmed this week that there are no immediate plans for upgrades in the town.
A spokesman from Mr Holding’s office said any upgrade would have to be considered in future funding programs.
“Upgrading of the station will be considered if future funding is made available for upgrades to police stations across the state,” he said.
“However, any improvement to the station would have to be considered against requests from other stations across the state which may have greater priority.”
The need for improved police facilities in Yarra Junction came under the spotlight last week, when Gembrook MP Tammy Lobato asked Mr Holding to prioritise an upgrade of the town’s police station.
Ms Lobato’s request in Parliament last Thursday, 6 April, follows comments made by a police union representative in October last year.
Police Association assistant secretary Bruce McKenzie described the station as ‘substandard’ and said it hampered the ability of police to offer a professional service to the town.
Ms Lobato told Mr Holding in Parliament that she wanted him to ensure new facilities are provide for police in Yarra Junction.
“The current facilities are inadequate, making it harder for the officers working at (the) station to perform their duties,” she said. “When I have visited the station on a couple of occasions, I have witnessed very cramped conditions.
“When the officers seek to do the simplest of tasks they almost have to step on each other’s toes. They lack the necessary space to conduct interviews safely.”
Ms Lobato’s call for improved facilities was supported by business and community groups in Yarra Junction.
Upper Yarra Community Voice president, Glennice Mathers, described the current station as ‘woeful’ and said the town’s police officers, and the local community, deserved better.
She said inadequate facilities impacted on the ability of officers to police the area effectively.
“There isn’t anywhere where people can sit and talk to police in private, which means the community has lost confidence in going to the station,” she said.
“If you’ve got anything to say to police, you have to do it very publicly. There’s no anonymity.”
Ms Mathers said the station, a small portable building, looked ‘like a disused school room’.
“It does not look like a place where you can go for help,” she said.
“How can we work on building up our community, how can we be proud of our town when we don’t have a police station we deserve?” she said.
Yarra Junction Business Development Group president Andrew McMath said traders in the town were keen to see police facilities upgraded.
“Access to local police is very important and anything that can be done to improve the police presence in Yarra Junction would be very welcome,” he said.
“We’ll campaign vigorously as a traders group for improved facilities that make working life easier for the officers serving our community.”
Both Ms Mathers and Mr McMath said they would also like to see an increased police presence in the town.
“The officers here are stretched to the limit and are worked to the bone,” Ms Mathers said.
“The police staff we have is not big enough, especially when you consider how large the area is that they cover.”