Christchurch's new $22 million police station has been officially opened, following one of the fastest constructions for a building of its type.
The Christchurch Central Police Station was officially opened by Police Minister Anne Tolley on Thursday morning.
Canterbury District Commander Superintendent Gary Knowles says the building was completed in about a third of the time it normally takes to design, plan and build a major police station - which made the project extremely challenging.
The purpose-built 7500-square-metre station, will be the base for about 500 police staff.
It also incorporates the Department of Corrections southern regional office, as well as the southern communications centre for police and Fire Service emergency calls.
The new station is a temporary base for up to eight years while a permanent station is built replaces the Hereford Street station which was at risk from earthquakes.
The move ends nearly 140 years of Police presence on the Hereford Street site.
The city's first stone police station was built there in 1873, replaced by the recently-vacated station which opened in 1973.
