LISMORE MP Janelle Saffin says the Minns Labor Government is delivering her key election commitment of 24/7 policing at the Murwillumbah Station in four phases of Budget allocations and recruitment.
Ms Saffin confirmed that she had sought and received a progress report from the office of NSW Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley following the recent NSW Budget 2025-26.
“The NSW Police Department has advised that to date 10 authorised police positions have been allocated to the Tweed/Byron Police District specifically for Murwillumbah Police Station,” Ms Saffin said.
“Phase 1 has been completed with three positions – a sergeant and two constables – filled or occupied. Phase 2 established a further three constable positions and recruitment is underway.
“Phase 3 – a sergeant and three constables – was allocated in last month’s State Budget and will be recruited over the next year.
“The remaining five constable positions will be activated by 1 July 2026 as part of Phase 4, bringing the total of additional authorised police positions to 15.”
Ms Saffin acknowledged that recruitment remained a challenge for all police commands, but the Minns Labor Government is supporting schemes that encourage people to become police officers, and incentives to retain them.
This includes:
- An historic pay rise – the biggest in memory – for NSW Police officers.
- Paying recruits to study at the academy in Goulburn, which has seen a 70 per cent increase in the number of applications since it was introduced. Under the previous government only a handful of recruits were going to the academy.
- The ‘Be a Cop in Your Hometown’ program, which encourages residents of Murwillumbah and surrounding areas to consider a career in police. This initiative allows recruits to train and return to serve in their local community, helping address vacancies while strengthening ties with the area.
- The Professional Mobility Program, so officers up to senior constable level from other Australian jurisdictions and New Zealand can come to NSW at their existing rank.
- Creating the Health Safety and Wellbeing Command to ensure we’re looking after police who are injured on the job and getting them back to work when they’re better.
- FLASHBACK: Lismore MP Janelle Saffin pictured outside Murwillumbah Police Station with the then NSW Opposition Leader and now NSW Premier Chris Minns.
