Dozens of extra CCTV cameras will be installed in a popular part of the Gold Coast amid growing concerns about drunken and anti-social behaviour in the area.
The state government has awarded Gold Coast Council $500,000 to expand the city’s CCTV network, with the new cameras earmarked for Burleigh Heads.
Burleigh MP Hermann Vorster says this was a key election commitment driven by the community.
“It means we’ll see more CCTV in Burleigh Village, but importantly in Memorial Park and along the Esplanade as well, where anti-social behaviour has been a real turn off for visitors,” Vorster said.
“This will mean that the Council CCTV monitoring team can see danger as it unfolds and secure Police resources to deal with small problems before they escalate into potential catastrophe.”
Mr Vorster says it’s just one part of their efforts to make Burleigh safer.
“We are absolutely committed to cleaning up the nighttime economy in Burleigh. So not only will we have more CCTV cameras providing coverage in and around these venues, as well as CCTV cameras from Light Rail Stage Three, but we will also have a million dollars on the table for safety initiatives on Friday and Saturday night.”
A Police beat in the suburb is also in the works.
Mayor Tom Tate welcomed the funding for the additional cameras.
“That’s a really growing commercial area with retail, nightlife, and it’s best if we can hook that in,’ Mayor Tate said.
“The good news is that the monitoring of all these security cameras that we will put in, we already have the infrastructure to do that.”
The Mayor says they will now work closely with Police to determine exactly where the new cameras will be installed.
“I’m looking to put in a minimum of 40, and if it needs to be topped up by council budget I will do that as well.”
