By Dongyun Kwon
Yarra Ranges Council (YRC) is going to investigate funding the auditing, replacement and ongoing maintenance of existing CCTV cameras in Healesville.
Healesville resident Penelle walked through the Star Mail door with a petition in hand in December 2024 to raise the need for action to maintain the CCTV system in Healesville, installed through funding from the Federal Government.
It inspired the Star Mail crew to conduct a six-week Capturing the Yarra Ranges campaign earlier this year, which ended up getting a response from YRC, saying the council couldn’t fund the CCTV network.
Despite the frustrating response, the Healesville resident didn’t give up the hope of making the community safe.
Penelle brought up the issue again to the councillors at the latest council meeting on Tuesday 13 May.
She requested that YRC provide the funding for the auditing, replacement and ongoing maintenance of the existing CCTV cameras in Healesville, to ensure the Healesville community and traders can feel a stronger sense of security and safety, with 140 valid signatures.
At the meeting, Penelle said when talking to other members of the community and traders, she found that she wasn’t the only one who needed well-operating CCTV cameras.
“The traders were desperately in need of extra support for their businesses,” she said.
“I’m feeling quite nervous talking about this, because it’s been a little bit of a complex situation, given people want their privacy as well. This is a very small community, and people want to feel safe here.
“We’ve always felt safe here, but there is a change in policing, there’s a change in laws, there’s a change in the community. There are so many different changes here, and we need the extra support. We need these cameras out here to feel safe.”
Ryrie Ward councillor Fiona McAllister supported the petition submitted by Penelle to get funding for the maintenance of the CCTV network.
Cr McAllister said it’s an ongoing issue, and the council’s position is absolutely to support community safety, and to try and find a more universal model for ongoing funding.
“Funding is often given for CCTV cameras to be installed in our communities, with the onus or the burden on the community to maintain them, and the funding typically comes from the Federal Government,” she said.
“What’s playing out at the moment for communities is not great, and whilst it’s reassuring that the local government has been looking to fund that, the next steps for this one are trickier.
“If you’re going to fund infrastructure like this, you absolutely have to fund maintenance. It’s not fair to let it sit with the community, and then it disappears into a non-maintained ground that leaves the community feeling unsafe.”
