Work has begun on the new Cambridge Police base.
The earthworks have now been completed on the joint Tainui and NZ Police
project, and construction is expected to be completed by mid-2022.
“While there have been some initial delays due to COVID-19 restrictions,
it’s exciting to see the process has started,” says Waikato West Area
Commander Inspector Will Loughrin.
The new base will provide a modern-fit-for-purpose and functional policing
space for Waikato Police staff while incorporating co-location spaces for
community groups and local iwi to help foster relationships.
In August 2020, NZ Police and Tainui Group Holdings (TGH) signed a
partnership agreement to support the build of modern, sustainable,
community-minded Police facilities across Waikato.
The base is the first to be developed under the partnership agreement. With
the lease on the current police station due to expire, the new station will
provide a future-proof and fit-for-purpose space for Police that is easily
accessible to the community.
The whenua is owned by TGH and was returned to the iwi (Waikato-Tainui) in
1995 as part of its Raupatu settlement.
The 416sqm site is situated on the corner of Fort and Victoria Street- the
site of the previous police house, allowing for public access and street
presence.
“The location is located centrally and within easy access to the main town
centre and suburban Cambridge, which ensures our response to calls for
service is timely and delivers the service our community expects,” says
Inspector Loughrin.
The proposed design has a distinctive, community-friendly design based on a
waka ama (double-hulled canoe) and will incorporate many elements reflecting
the local environment and community, including visual elements of
significance to Waikato-Tainui and use of the region’s Hinuera stonework.
TGH CEO, Chris Joblin, says the company is pleased to partner with NZ Police
to develop a police base, which has cultural history, and community
engagement and inclusion as core design principles.
“We are building a facility that moves away from the traditional
institutional look and feel to one that welcomes and embraces the community
in a setting that acknowledges the local area, its tangata whenua origins and
the town’s unique architectural characteristics,” says Mr Joblin.
“As an iwi organisation sustainability is important to us and that’s why
we’ve looked to recycle materials from the original buildings where
possible, including repurposing timber for carving, gifting wood to
kaumaatua, and incorporating bricks and timber into the new building.”