- A potentially unsafe Stratford police station is being sold, almost 30 years after officers left.
- Prospective buyers can inspect only from outside because the 1920s building may contain hazards.
- LINZ spent more than $14,000 maintaining the property and paying rates during 2025/26.
A potentially hazardous former police station is being sold off almost 30 years after officers last walked through its doors.
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However, anyone hoping to buy the ex-cop shop at 365 Broadway in Stratford will only be able to view the property from the outside because of concerns it may be unsafe to enter.
The building – which has an RV of $355,000 and includes several “safe rooms” – was bought by the Government in 2000 for Treaty settlement purposes after NZ Police moved into a vacated WINZ building in town two years earlier.
NZ Police director of property and fleet Paul Newman said the force had outgrown the 230sqm, 1920s building, which was formerly a residence.
Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) has been managing the property for the Crown since 2016. Project delivery leader Sarah Thompson said it was no longer needed for cultural or commercial redress in a Treaty settlement, so it was being sold.
Thompson said buyers were not allowed to enter the property “due to the potential for hazards”. It was a precautionary measure because of the property’s age and condition.
NZ Police moved out of the Broadway building in 1998. Photo / Supplied
“The decision has been made to prioritise the safety of prospective purchasers and members of the public.”
The building had also suffered vandalism over the years, and the windows were boarded up in 2023, three years after the last tenants left.
In the meantime, ratepayers have spent tens of thousands of dollars to hold the property. In 2025/26, LINZ spent more than $14,000 on general maintenance and rates (the rates were higher because of a water leak that has now been fixed).
Collective First National listing agent Owen Leicester said in his marketing that the property had some interesting features, including the station’s safe rooms, which are secure spaces designed to protect occupants from extreme threats.
His listing said there were “options galore” for the multipurpose building, which also has offices and a reception, all on a 1185sqm section.
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The old Stratford Police Station is one of several former police stations that have hit the market in recent years. The ex-Auckland Police Station on Vincent Street, in Auckland CBD, has been empty since 2019 and looking for a new owner for the last two years.
The unoccupied building is costing the Government more than $230,000 in rates alone, according to an RNZ report earlier this month. Greater Auckland director Patrick Reynolds told RNZ the 4580sqm building should be turned into a high school to serve the growing number of families living in apartments in the CBD. His idea was not ruled out by the Ministry of Education.
Meanwhile, a former police house on Ocean Beach Road in Foxton has been given a new lease of life after it was contaminated with asbestos. The property sold for $295,000 in February 2025 and, following a massive renovation, resold several months later for $820,000.
- 365 Broadway, Stratford, is for sale, tender closing September 17
