Noosa trials spy cameras

Date: 5/2/2006
Source: SunshineCoastDaily
Author: -

By Nathan Evans BIG Brother looks set to visit Noosa’s tourist strip later this year, with plans afoot to trial video surveillance on Hastings Street following a series of assaults and at least one recent brawl.

A report to Noosa Council’s Works and Community Services portfolio meeting discussing the trial highlighted an incident in which a group of “uncontrolled youths” apparently bashed several people, causing a broken jaw, fractured skull and broken wrist during a “three-hour rampage” last September.

The trial would see a temporary camera mounted on the roof of the tourist information centre to survey the taxi rank at the intersection of Hastings Street and Noosa Drive – a notorious late night trouble spot.

While the move is yet to be ratified, Councillor Vivien Griffin said the camera could prove useful in bringing law-breakers to justice.

“I think it would be safe to say that we’re sad it has come to this and that the main function of the camera is to help identify offenders,” she said.

“There have been a number of serious incidents in Hastings Street and you can’t ignore that and this is obviously part of council’s broader community safety strategy.”

The Hastings Street Association first raised the issue with council’s Public Order and Safety manager in November and he researched two options including a $35,000 16-camera system linked to a recording unit and a $2000 single-camera alternative to monitor only the taxi rank area.

The single day/night weatherproof camera option is expected to be trialled for six moths from March 1.

There are no plans for cameras in other tourist areas of the shire.

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