Officer in Charge of Yalata Police Station Daryl McCormack says four police will be stationed at Yalata, including two police officers and two community constables.

They will be on call 24 hours a day and will serve the communities of Yalata and Oak Valley.

He said the improved cell set up of the new police station means that police will no longer have to take people to Ceduna to be processed, which was a six hour round trip.

He said that police and the community are working together to deal with problems such as alcohol abuse and petrol sniffing, and there are no petrol sniffers in Yalata at the moment.

“If we can keep alcohol out we don’t have the domestic violence and assaults and it’s quite peaceful,” McCormack said.

“From time to time there are petrol sniffers and the elders are very helpful assisting to get petrol sniffers out.”

Guests at the opening ceremony included Superintendent Brad Flaherty; Senior Police Chaplain Dianna Bartlett; Police Commissioner Mal Hyde; Minster for Police the Hon Jennifer Rankine MP; Minster for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation the Hon Paul Caica; Member for Grey Rowan Ramsey; Member for Flinders Peter Treloar; Officer in Charge of Ceduna Police Station Senor Sergeant Mick Michael; Ceduna Mayor Allan Suter; District Council of Ceduna CEO Trevor Smart; and Yalata community members.