The new station will be built where the current police station is located, next to the court house.

The construction project is expected to take about 18 months and police will be housed in the Morisset Building while their new station is built.

“During the 2015 campaign I committed to delivering a new station for Queanbeyan, and I am proud to be honouring this commitment and unveiling the chosen design today,” Mr Barilaro said.

“The government worked with Queanbeyan Police to finalise the design and ensure that it is a choice that provides our men and women in uniform with a safe, purpose-built and future-proofed building.”

“Also, I think, architecturally it’s something that will give Queanbeyan a new gateway into the town.”

The announcement comes more than three years after the conditions inside the building were described as “pretty awful” and an initial commitment was made to rebuild.

Mr Barilaro has put the delays down to issues selecting a site including completing geotechnical studies of the current site where an old river system has raised questions over the foundations.

He said it was important a facility was chosen that would be suitable into the future and not just in the short term.

The NSW government explored a relationship with the Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council to house the police in the proposed new council headquarters before police rejected the proposal.

Assistant Commissioner Peter Barrie said police were glad the station would remain in the justice precinct as it would resolve a lot of issues around custody of prisoners.

Labor candidate for Monaro Bryce Wilson welcomed the announcement of the designs however criticised the time taken to reach this point.

“Local police are finally getting what they have always wanted, and I understand the officers are excited by plans for the new station,” Mr Wilson said.

He added that it was not good enough the police had to wait as long as they did to receive the new facility.

There is currently $17 million budgeted for the new station however Mr Barilaro said if more funds were required to ensure police got the facilities they required he would work to find extra money.

He added that he has had conversations with the Attorney-General about a potential upgrade of the court house in future.