The Gold Coast’s last remaining shopping centre police beat is here to stay after a new deal was struck with the centre’s management.
A fresh agreement between the State Government and Harbour Town has officially locked in the facility’s tenure, ensuring a permanent police presence remains at one of the city’s busiest retail hubs.
The breakthrough comes after months of uncertainty after the centre’s management initially moved to rescind the long-standing “peppercorn” lease arrangement earlier this year.
Under the deal, Harbour Town has agreed to reinstate the $1-a-year rent, in a move hailed by local MP Sam O’Connor as a massive win for local community safety.
“We told the community we would fight to keep our officers here, and we’ve delivered,” O’Connor said, praising the centre’s generosity in returning to the original terms.
Mr O’Connor confirmed that the facility will remain in its strategic home near centre management and the local JP service for the foreseeable future.
“It’ll mean that our community there in Biggera Waters will continue to have access to our officers at a time when they’re needed,” he said.
The decision to keep the beat in place is being seen as crucial for the Biggera Waters area, which sees over nine million shoppers pass through the outlet shopping centre annually.
“I go there myself for my doctor and my chemist and you know, when you have a night out or go to the movies that’s where you go,” O’Connor said.
“It’s just really important to have that access for the locals in our community.
“To be able to go and talk to an officer and to know that they’ll have an officer there in a busy location like that, it’s really important and that’s why we fought so hard to keep the beat there at Harbour Town”.
