The council received a report from a public hearing held on April 19, where residents voiced their concerns about losing green space and the historical significance of the park, among other things.
Lawry Park is located on the Cobb Hwy, opposite the Perricoota Rd intersection, which will become a four-way signalised intersection as part of the new Echuca-Moama bridge build.
In the council’s May meeting agenda, senior town planner Llyan Smith said there had been discussion with submission makers about how to retain pedestrian connectivity though the site, and also pay homage to the history and community value of Lawry Park.
“Staff do not feel our only option is to achieve one outcome at the complete expense of the other and rather that both uses — a police station and an iteration of Lawry Park — can be strived for,” she said.
“This will require ongoing planning and careful consideration of a number of pragmatic factors and staff will continue to update council as the proposal progresses.”
Regarding concerns from some community members about the reclassification of the entire lot, rather than just a selected area for the police station, Ms Smith said it was considered impractical as the location of the station was not yet determined.
It was also noted the location of water mains within the site reduced the capacity of the land to cater for additional emergency services in the future and that vehicle access through Lawry Park to between Nicholas Dr and Francis St had not been proposed.
The land needs to be reclassified from community to operational to allow the new police station, which received $4.5 million in NSW Government funding after years of campaigning, to be built there.
More detailed plans for the new station will be revealed once a development application is submitted.
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