Special legislation to fast-track the demolition of 10 police buildings at the Thebarton Barracks passed state parliament in November, with the government handing SA Police $2 million to plan its exit from the park lands site.

The legislation included a provision for a cost-free acquisition of additional park lands space to relocate the 15 SA Police operation units – including the mounted police greys and dog units – which have been based at the Thebarton Barracks for 105 years.

In response to questions from InDaily, a SA Police spokesperson said planning for the relocation was “on schedule and within budget”, but they said it would be “inappropriate” for them to comment on sites under consideration due to potential procurement impacts.

“Potential sites are being assessed for suitability to relocate the various business units currently based at the Thebarton Barracks,” they said.

“SAPOL will make submissions to government as required to ensure operational capability is maintained for fit-for-purpose facilities.”

The state government has previously said that “early works” preparing the Thebarton Barracks site for the new $3.2 billion Women’s and Children’s Hospital build would start by the end of this year, with additional “enabling works” planned to begin in 2024.

It wants the hospital to be complete by 2030-31.

Asked what schedule had been provided to SA Police for its relocation out of the Thebarton Barracks, Police Minister Joe Szakacs said: “Functions will begin moving from the location this year”.

He added that the scoping and planning being undertaken by SA Police and the government was “well underway”.

Szakacs did not respond to questions asking when SA Police was required to move and when they are anticipated to make a final decision on where they will relocate.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens has previously welcomed the government’s decision to build the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital at the Thebarton Barracks site, saying it presented a “unique opportunity for SAPOL to consider its operational needs and work with affected staff, stakeholders and the government to acquire modern, fit for purpose facilities that will meet organisational needs well into the future”.

The Thebarton police barracks is located on previously vacant park lands and was gifted to SA Police in 1917, with construction on the original buildings completed that year.

According to the SA Police Historical Society, the site is an “important facility for a broad range of police functions in the delivery of policing services to the community of South Australia”.

Building the hospital at the barracks will involve demolishing 10 police buildings – some of which date back to 1917 and were added to the state’s heritage list in 1985.

A government review found the 20,000 square-metre barracks site would allow it to build a bigger hospital with 56 more beds and “built in capacity” for an additional 20 beds, taking the proposed hospital’s total capacity to 414 beds – 76 more than the existing hospital at North Adelaide.