NT Police Association president Paul McCue has called on the NT Government to fast track its $5 million promise to upgrade the station.

“The police do a good job down here,” Mr McCue said during a visit to Katherine last week.

“They work really hard but they are just packed into the station like sardines,” Mr McCue said.

Police are still waiting for the $5 million which was promised for the expansion of the Katherine Police Station last year

The Northern Territory Government announced the allocation of $5 million back in November.

Association president Mr McCue said Chief Minister Michael Gunner, who is also Police Minister, should put Katherine on his to-do-list.

Katherine MP Sandra Nelson said the Government Budget had not been officially released yet.

“The money has been committed and the work has been fast-tracked two to three years,” Ms Nelson said.

“We are keen to see the government come through on their promise,” Mr McCue said. 

“There has been no time-frame given at this stage, we would like to see him (Mr Gunner) prioritise Katherine and come here publicly,” he said.

Despite being the NT’s fourth biggest population centre, Mr Gunner has only visited Katherine once since the Labor Government swept to power in August.

Labor had never won Territory seats in Alice Springs or Katherine before 2016

Mr McCue said he would like to know when the government plans on starting works at the station. 

“The police do a good job down here, they work really hard but they are just packed in like sardines,” Mr McCue said.

“The community expects to have the right police facilities, but at the moment they are below standard.”

The government fast tracked the project from 2020-21 to  2017-18.

Katherine Times is still waiting on a formal response from Mr Gunner’s office.