Join the CCTV Steering Committee

Media Release
Inverleigh

Golden Plains Shire Council is seeking community members and local business representatives to volunteer on its new CCTV Steering Committee.   

At its meeting on 27 July, Council resolved to establish a CCTV Steering Committee to guide the development of a policy on Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) in public places in Golden Plains Shire.

The CCTV Steering Committee will include members of the community, local business representatives, Victoria Police, Golden Plains Shire Councillor/s and Council’s Coordinator Community Safety. The steering group will initially assess whether CCTV could effectively increase safety and confidence in public places in Bannockburn and/or increase the success rate of prosecution of criminal behaviour.

Expressions of Interest to join the CCTV Steering Committee are now open and Council is seeking two Golden Plains Shire residents and two local business representatives to join Council’s CCTV Steering Committee.

To apply, please complete the Expression of Interest form available on Council's Have Your Say page. Paper copies are also available at Council’s Customer Service Centres, 2 Pope Street, Bannockburn and 19 Heales Street, Smythesdale. Completed forms can be hand-delivered to Council, emailed to [email protected], or mailed to Golden Plains Shire Council, PO Box 111, Bannockburn, VIC, 3331 marked ‘Attention Coordinator Community Safety’.

Expressions of Interest close at 5pm, Thursday 26 August, 2021. For more information, please call Council’s Community Safety team on 5220 7277 or email [email protected]

Mayor Cr Helena Kirby says that the future of CCTV is an important community safety consideration in the Shire.

“Anti-social behaviour and vandalism is a great concern for many residents and the new Steering Committee will investigate CCTV as an option to address this community safety issue. This diverse group of local representatives will make a valuable contribution to the development of a new CCTV Policy for Golden Plains Shire.

“A CCTV Policy will guide Council’s future direction on CCTV and make it possible for Council to invest in new safety technology for public places and seek funding to support community safety initiatives in our Shire.”

In late 2020, Council was approached by Victoria Police and community members requesting CCTV in public areas in Bannockburn, specifically the Bannockburn Heart Precinct, following incidents of anti-social behaviour and reports of criminal damage to Council assets caused by unknown offenders. The use of CCTV in public places by Victorian public sector bodies is becoming more prevalent, with local councils becoming a significant owner and user of CCTV in public places.

In developing the CCTV Policy for use of CCTV cameras in public places in Golden Plain Shire, Council and the CCTV Steering Committee will consider crime-related issues in the Shire based on data and current crime prevention initiatives, discuss whether CCTV would be useful in addressing any identified problems and if so, what sort of system is required. The policy will reflect the role of Local Government and ensure Council meets its legal and regulatory obligations balancing an individual’s rights to feel safe and be safe in public spaces with an individual’s right to privacy.

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