The move comes as the state government plans for a new police station in Port Macquarie.

Port Macquarie-Hastings Council unanimously supported the Town Centre Master Plan Sub-Committee urgently facilitating high-level concept designs for the police station site on the community's behalf.

The council also endorsed efforts to support appropriate heritage listing of the police constable's cottage.

That building forms part of the police station site.

It comes after the state government allocated $1.1 million for planning towards a new police station and the purchase of a new site.

The current site has capacity issues.

A police spokesperson said the NSW Police Force is evaluating options for a future site for the Port Macquarie police station.

The spokesperson said operational requirements determined the use of police station properties and comment on use of property assets would be speculative at this time.

Cr Geoff Hawkins told the May council meeting there was a strong feeling within the Town Centre Master Plan Sub-Committee, and he believed, echoed by the Cultural Steering Group, that if we didn't move quickly, the police station site would be sold by the state government and lost to the community.

"That site, right now, and for a long, long time has actually belonged to the community," he said.

"The police are occupying it at the present point in time but it is actually the community's site."

Deputy mayor Lisa Intemann said the matter was raised through the Town Centre Master Plan Sub-Committee.

She said it was an important aesthetic site and heritage site.

Cr Rob Turner said there had been a similar situation 30-odd years ago when the then state government decided to move from the old courthouse to the new courthouse, and their plan was to sell the old courthouse.

The Port Macquarie Historic Courthouse is preserved as a heritage tourism attraction.

"The police constables cottage, I'm reliably informed, is older than the courthouse building, so it makes sense to hang onto that and get the precinct back to what it used to be as a celebration of our heritage," Cr Turner said.

The council noted the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment's Draft Regional City Action Plan for Port Macquarie included an objective to respect, protect, embrace and celebrate the distinctive culture, character and heritage of Port Macquarie.

The council previously recognised the police station site, including the historic police constable's cottage and lock-up, is a community heritage asset of high significance, which contributes to the CBD's cultural, heritage and educational enhancement.

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