For more than a decade, the Helensburgh community was faced with forever promises from the previous Liberal-Nationals Government on the construction of a new police station to serve the community. The station on Waratah Street has not been operational because of not meeting work health and safety standards, leaving the community without an ongoing police presence. The former Government announced a new station time and time again, usually in the lead-up to an election, yet it never delivered. After 12 years of inaction by the former Government, the New South Wales Government has invested $3 million in a new police station to serve the community. After only the second year of a Minns Government, we are delivering. This purpose-built station can accommodate up to eight officers, and provide modern facilities and secure parking for police vehicles. It will provide a much-needed increase in the Wollongong Police District's ability to maintain a visible presence and support community safety within the northern suburbs of Wollongong, where the closest 24/7 staffed police station in the district is Wollongong Police Station—30 minutes away.
This essential project is a commitment that the New South Wales Government promised to deliver in its first term. It shows that the Minns Government delivers on its electoral commitments and listens to our community's needs. Our police work tirelessly to protect and serve our community, and it is essential that they have the facilities and resources to most effectively do their jobs. Our police in the Wollongong and Sutherland police districts are not only doing a great job in keeping our community safe, but they are building strong relationships and trust with their local communities. Initiatives like Coffee with a Cop, something I have participated in with our local police officers, are an excellent way to foster the relationship between the general public and our police.
The Minns Labor Government is committed to ensuring the safety of our community and making sure our police officers are supported in their roles. That is why the Government has announced a suite of recruitment and retention programs, including paid study, to get more boots on the ground to fight crime. The Government scheme to pay police recruits to study at Goulburn Police Academy saw a 26 per cent increase in applications between 31 October 2023 and 5 May 2024, compared to the same period last year. The Professional Mobility Program and regional recruitment scheme announced by this Government on 15 May will address 1,500 vacancies within the NSW Police Force. Those vacancies are a legacy of the previous Government's neglect and mismanagement of police recruitment and retention.
I look forward to the Helensburgh Police Station being built by the end of September 2024, weather permitting, and to the residents of northern Illawarra having the ongoing peace of mind of knowing that police resources are being committed to their community by the New South Wales Minns Labor Government. I thank the Minister for her ongoing support and commitment and Superintendent Jason Box from the Wollongong Local Area Command for his advocacy and dedication to his officers and the community. Superintendent Box is leaving us soon to continue his NSW Police Force career. We thank him for his public service, and we wish him well.