Last night saw Tweed Shire Council agree to spend $144,000 on CCTV cameras in Murwillumbah’s Knox Park.
The key issues raised by councillors were the impact of vandalism and safety at the park.
‘I know it is expensive to put CCTV in one park [but the importance of the issue] was reinforced by the police at community safety committee,’ Mayor Chris Cherry (Independent) told last night’s Tweed Shire Council meeting.
Mayor Cherry pointed out the fact that the community and the police had highlighted that there was a ‘black hole there’ and that ‘there had been repeated vandalism of infrastructure and trees in the [park]’.
Youth safety
Councillor Katie Milne (Greens) said she had also been at the meetings and that ‘it was quite distressing to see what we are missing. I’m not generally in favour of CCTV but it came up on the youth committee that they would like to feel safer in the Knox Park area’.
Mayor Cherry highlighted the fact that ‘it is already on many streets in Murwillumbah and I don’t think most people feel like they are being watched’.
‘They [CCTV] don’t stop it [vandalism etc], but do deter it. Police said the existing CCTV has led to a number of arrests. If this is a way to make sure that the park is more useable then I hope you will support it,’ said Mayor Cherry.
The motion was passed unanimously.
When will CCTV be in place at The Wreck car park in Byron Bay? This locale has become a hive of antisocial behaviour not just at night but during the day as well, fuelled by drugged up itinerants. Police need a hand to stamp this behaviour out, along with speeding up redesign of the area to remove car parks.