FORMER Shoalhaven mayor, Paul Green MLC has thrown his support behind calls for a police station in the central Shoalhaven, saying Shoalhaven City Council has already provided a site for the building.

“While I was mayor and we were looking at the Vincentia shopping centre proposal we allocated land to establish an emergency services precinct in that area,” he said.

“The RFS are now there and there is also land allocated for other emergency services including the police.

“I have brought this fact to the attention of the current Police Minister Stuart Ayres and as I understand it he has been down and inspected the site.

“These similar offers were made to the previous police minister as well.

“Now we have to make it a priority.”

He said he understood the government still had to pay for the construction of the police station and agreed with suggestions it could be co-funded by the sale of the current Huskisson station site.

“I understand the commissioner saying he had issues, including the $100 million worth of work on removing asbestos from many rural police stations and we have given him and the government grace on that,” he said.

“But now is the time to get something done.

“The government and the commissioner need to make it a priority.”

Mr Green congratulated the community on its efforts to bring the issue to the government’s attention and he would continue to push for a new station.

“Those 500 people who attended the crime crisis meeting on Monday night need to keep up the pressure,” he said.

“I’m fighting for a new station, I’ll keep bringing it up and ask questions where I can, but the community also has to keep up the fight.

“This can easily become an election issue and with an election due next year now is the time to push for it.”