General News
11 June, 2025
Alpurrurulam to get much-needed police station
The border community should have a police station by the end of next year.
The planned construction of a new police complex at Alpurrurulam should help reduce cross-border anti-social behaviour, says the Barkly mayor.
Sid Vashist said construction of a new police complex at Alpurrurulam, commonly referred to as Lake Nash, was scheduled for next year.
The facility will include a new station, housing, and visiting officer quarters.
Currently, the nearest local police station is located at Avon Downs, more than 150km away.
Some Queensland police officers at the Camooweal Station, 172km from Alpurrurulam, are sworn in as Special Constables with the NT to assist with law and order issues over the border.
Alpurrurulam has an all-weather bitumen airstrip that also allows police aircraft access if required. Despite this, Cr Vashist said there was a long-identified need for Alpurrurulam to have its own policing facility.
“We have the confirmation from the Territory government that the new policing facility is going ahead, the money is allocated, which is a really good thing for us in the Barkly Shire as well as our partners over the border in the Isa,” Cr Vashist told North West Weekly.
“To have a facility that is going to be manned 24-7 will only assist with the challenges that you might be facing in the Isa.
“And it will assist us with the grog runs that are always being talked about where people are going over the border.
“There will be better policing from Tennant Creek to Alice Springs and across to the Queensland border.”