News Release
Shadow Minister for Police and Emergency Services James Milligan has once again slammed the Police and Emergency Services Minister for failing frontline workers after it was reported lead dust and diesel particulates were found in a ceiling cavity at the Gungahlin Joint Emergency Services Centre (JESC).
Mr Milligan said it is not good enough for emergency services workers to have to move out of another building, leaving Belconnen as the only fully functional police station in Canberra’s north.
“Earlier this month it was the Civic Police Station reduced to minimal staff because it was not ‘fit for purpose’ and yesterday we discover that the JESC is also not safe for our frontline workers,” Mr Milligan said.
“As highlighted by the Firefi ghters Union and the Australian Federal Police Association there needs to be a thorough investigation to understand the full extent of this significant and dangerous issue.
“As local member for Yerrabi, Shadow Minister for Emergency Services and now Shadow Police Minister, I have been fighting to get the Gungahlin JESC replaced, and the building made fi t for purpose.
“The JESC has been overcrowded for years with staff working out of a demountable in the car park and now they find dangerous lead dust, it is simply not good enough.
Mr Milligan said staff were promised $8.2 million back in the 2020-21 budget, to move the fire and rescue staff out to renovate the building that was initially meant to be finished in February this year but has been pushed out to later in the year at the earliest.
“This entire debacle with our police and emergency services buildings not being ‘fit for purpose’ has all happened under the Minister’s watch and he has continued to drag his heels on this matter,” Mr Milligan said.
“The Canberra Liberals have continually called on the Labor-Greens government to address the ongoing issues of poor resourcing for our police and emergency services who are stretched very thin and not provided the resources they need to their jobs.
“It is clear the Minister, and Labor- Greens government have no will and no desire to provide adequate resources to our hardworking frontline workers and they should be ashamed,” Mr Milligan concluded.