By Mikayla van Loon
The term “fallen on deaf ears” was how Mooroolbark Traders and Community Group president Geoff Earney described the process of gaining new funding or any commitment to upgrading the CCTV network in town.
Funded during the rounds of Federal grants from former MP Tony Smith, Mr Earney said Mooroolbark had 20 cameras installed throughout the main centre.
Not fully aware of the current working condition of all 20, Mr Earney said he believed at least eight or nine cameras were not functioning.
“There’s been requests made to the Police Minister for some money. It’s gone to council, and everything has fallen on deaf ears from everybody,” he said.
“It’s got all the infrastructure. It’s got everything there, but the cameras on top of the poles and the sides of the buildings need work. Nothing works forever.”
Mr Earney said he sees “great value” in having a working CCTV network in Mooroolbark but that traders and township groups cannot be responsible for the upkeep.
“It has great value to deter people if they’re able to see them up there, but at the same time, you don’t go and put all this infrastructure in there for nothing to work. It just seems like such a waste,” he said.
“But then who’s the one who picks it up? The trader groups haven’t got the money. We’re struggling to survive as it is. No trader group’s got any spare money at all.”
Despite an independent contractor offering their services to assess the cameras in Mooroolbark for “a fairly reasonable cost”, that option would not be feasible ongoing.
Given the number of towns in the Yarra Ranges with a community camera system installed, Mr Earney said he would see the council as being the best responsible authority for maintaining the systems shire-wide.
“There must be eight or nine or 10 towns that have them and if they’ve all got 10 cameras each, I know that we’ve got 20 here, there’s at least 80 or 100 cameras out there that need constant maintenance on them, or at least maintenance every year or two years, which a contractor should be able to be employed to do that,” he said.
“As far as the council is concerned, it’s another cost they’re having to wear, and obviously, at the end of the day, the ratepayers, but I guess I’d be going to be further in saying the ratepayers benefit.”
Understanding that it would cost a significant amount to repair and “get them up and going” again, Mr Earney said from there it would just be regular maintenance required each year.
