Cutting-edge police training facility opens in Dubbo

The Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley and Police Commissioner Karen Webb will open the purpose-built $41 million Regional Education Training Centre (RETC) today.

The RETC is the first of its kind in the state, housing all training facilities on the one site - Firearms, Defensive Tactics and Active Armed Offender training to deliver mandatory, fundamental, specialist and leadership education.

The 1,736 hectare site includes the largest state-of-the-art 50-metre indoor live shooting range in NSW.

Other features include:

• Purpose-built Active Armed Offender training venue with augmented reality technology;
• Multiple simulation training rooms;
• Modern classrooms and lecture rooms;
• Indoor scenario training area;
• Outdoor area for vehicle movement training.

The facility includes a training room dedicated to the late Senior Sergeant Peter Spradbrow who retired in 2014 after 27 years of service.

Senior Sergeant Spradbrow most recently worked as the Western Regional Training Co-ordinator and was instrumental in the development of the RETC. He sadly passed away in October 2023 before the facility was complete. Mr Spradbrow played a momentous role in the training, development and careers of hundreds of officers.

The RETC facility provides officers across Western, Northern and Southern regions world-class facilities, education and training to ensure they can continue to support communities across the state.

The site will also house a NSW Rural Fire Service Regional Education and Training Centre and the RFS will be partnering with NSWPF to share some facilities.

The RETC reaffirms the Government's commitment to ensuring the NSW Police Force has the resources, capability and infrastructure it needs to keep communities safe.

The Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said:

"These state-of-the-art facilities are among the best in the world - the Regional Education Training Centre is a huge boost to the capability of the NSW Police Force.

"This Centre means police officers can be recruited, trained and retrained in the country, spending more time on frontline duties and keeping the community safe.

"We back our police 100 percent. On top of providing world-class training facilities, we're paying recruits to train and providing a pathway to work in their hometown."

The NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said:

"This new facility shows our commitment to providing our officers with the best possible resources and training to ensure they are well-prepared to protect and serve the people of NSW."

"The cutting-edge technology and modern facilities like the Active Armed Offender training venue and the live indoor firing range are essential in keeping NSW Police officers up to date with their mandatory training.

"The RETC will also play a key role in helping us attract and train the best and brightest recruits and will ensure that officers spend less time travelling and more time performing frontline policing duties."

Stephen Lawrence, NSW Labor Duty MLC for Dubbo said:

"The new facilities will be a huge boost to help increase police recruitment and retention, particularly in regional and rural NSW.

"The Minns Labor government is committed to continuing to take the steps needed to make our communities safe."

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