Ipswich police have a new home, which will provide space for 200 police officers and support staff.
The $38 million facility has been built on the site of a former bushland reserve at Ripley.
The suburb is considered one of the fastest‑growing regions in Queensland, with housing development doubling over the past four years.
The new Ripley police station — Ipswich District Headquarters — was officially opened yesterday.
Police Minister Dan Purdie said the new facility was a critical investment in keeping pace with population growth and restoring community safety after years of neglect under the former Labor Government.
“This is a major policing hub for one of Queensland’s fastest‑growing regions, and it’s exactly what’s needed after a decade of Labor failing to keep Queenslanders safe,” Minister Purdie said.
Acting Commissioner Brett Pointing said the opening was quite emotional for him, with what was once a bushland reserve now transformed into a state‑of‑the‑art police station.
“As a teenager, this is where we used to ride our horses around. We lived a few kilometres from here, and we spent a lot of time in the community in Raceview and different parts of Ipswich,” he said.
“I worked as an officer here in the 1980s, and my dad and brother also worked in police in Ipswich,” he said.
On a more serious note, Acting Commissioner Brett Pointing said locals deserved police resources that met the evolving needs of the community.
“This new facility is more than a building — it’s a hub for community safety,” he said.
The new Ripley Police Station — Ipswich District Headquarters — will accommodate several specialist units, including the Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB), Child Protection Investigation Unit (CPIU), and Forensic Crash Unit (FCU), among others.
