‘Of course we could, as we’ve got millions in reserves,’ Mr Barker said.
In 2010, the council spent $11 million buying the former Fresh Provisions site on Stirling Highway, now Typika, to influence development in the town centre.
From the police station, a team of nine western suburbs detectives will move to Perth for Police Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan’s new operating model that includes all non-uniform investigators working from the largest stations in his new districts.
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READ NOWMr Barker said he personally thought the site of the Claremont station, 150m from the council’s new $4 million offices and neighbouring the council’s Meals on Wheels building, could become an aged care facility run by the council.
‘But it could be limited by the costs of developing the site,’ he said.
Mr Barker proposed council staff investigate the purchase, saying he and councillors expected their staff to explore ‘every available option’.
Chief executive Stephen Goode proposed the station be swapped for council land on which a then-proposed western suburbs police hub could be built. But there was no funding forthcoming in May’s State Budget and the council was told WA Police wanted to keep the station.
Last week, Mr Goode said he thought the station was worth buying, if it became available.