Source: Radio New Zealand
The old police headquarters in central Auckland. Finn Blackwell / RNZ
The former police base in Auckland’s central city is still on the market after it was vacated seven years ago.
Staff left the station on the corner of Vincent Street and Cook Street for their current base on College Hill in 2019.
The property was declared surplus by Cabinet in September 2023.
It was partially occupied before closing, though was now fully unoccupied, police said previously.
Despite this, police have paid for essential services like rates, electricity and security at the site.
RNZ reported police had paid over $3 million on the building from July 2019 to July 2024.
More than $1,240,000 went towards rates, while $706,953 was spent on energy and nearly $470,000 on cleaning and rubbish.
That same year, Commissioner of Crown Lands Craig Harris said the Vincent Street headquarters was in the Treaty settlement stage of the disposal process, the land being offered to Māori subject to a right of first refusal under the Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau Collective Redress Act 2014.
Land Information New Zealand now said it was not managing the disposal of the property and directed RNZ’s questions to police.
Police confirmed the right of refusal period had been passed.
They said the property remained listed with Bayleys after being first marketed in late 2024.
“There is a need for an additional RFR period if there is an offer lower than valuation,” they said.
A listing for the property described it as a “significant and strategic CBD landholding”.
Meanwhile, police opened their new public-facing counter on the central city’s Federal Street last July, roughly 200 metres up from the former base.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
