By Mikayla van Loon
This week, Star Mail brings you the sixth and final week of the Capturing the Yarra Ranges campaign which sought to better understand the current CCTV network and what solutions were possible to reinstate this community infrastructure.
From discussions with police, community groups, experts, State politicians and Federal candidates, the identified path forward was for the council to take on the responsibility.
Star Mail posed this to Yarra Ranges Council with a list of 12 questions to be answered regarding its initial involvement when funding was Federally allocated, whether it had undertaken a cost analysis, engaged with the community and whether a CCTV network was a priority for the municipality.
A public statement was issued in reply.
Yarra Ranges Council chief executive officer Tammi Rose was attributed to the response and said it was not possible for the council to fund the CCTV network.
“In a financially constrained environment and during a cost of living crisis, the high cost of maintaining and replacing public CCTV cameras would mean either a reduction of services elsewhere, or ratepayers would find the increased cost reflected in their rates,” she said.
“We see either option as unacceptable.”
Despite being asked, Ms Rose did not comment on how the community had been engaged in the discussion and whether or not council managed CCTV had been put to residents as an option.
Star Mail is, however, aware of community discussions held between local Victoria Police members and the Yarra Ranges Township Group Network, and Casey Liberal candidate Aaron Violi.
The council’s community engagement policy does state it will seek “local experience, information and evidence…to make an informed decision”.
In conducting pre-draft budget engagement sessions and questionnaires with the community, people were asked to rank council services by priority.
Under connected and healthy communities, the top two priorities were firstly, community services and secondly, community safety.
Yarra Ranges Council’s community safety services include animal management, school crossings, emergency management and local laws and regulatory compliance.
Within the health and safety responsibilities of Victorian councils, community safety can include CCTV security cameras.
“Council does not manage public CCTV cameras and does not have the resources to do so,” Ms Rose said.
Yarra Ranges Council is one of few which does not operate a CCTV network, as Star Mail has investigated and presented in this edition.
Ms Rose said it was the financial burden of maintaining and operating the camera network, and the lack of funding for this purpose, which has seen the cameras become unusable.
“Under the arrangement at the time, township groups were to be responsible for maintaining these cameras, and Victoria Police would have access to footage for investigative purposes,” she said.
“Unfortunately, the reality is that maintaining many CCTV cameras is extremely expensive, more than township groups – comprised of volunteers, locals and business owners – should be expected to shoulder.
“We understand that the impact of this is that cameras fall into disrepair and no longer serve their purpose as a crime deterrent or investigation tool for police.”
Star Mail did ask whether the council had undertaken a cost study of the associated costs of operation and infrastructure. An answer was not given.
Instead Ms Rose said the council hoped for a Federal Government solution.
“It is unfortunate that the Federal Government of the time did not allocate ongoing funding to maintain or replace cameras as needed,” she said.
“We are hopeful that the Federal Government may find funding streams available to maintain and improve these cameras, to remove this cost burden from township groups, or find an arrangement with Victoria Police to allocate funding for these pieces of policing infrastructure.”
There was no mention of the council advocating for this on behalf of the community, however.
