CCTV falls victim to cost cutting, despite community feedback

Monday, 15 July 2024

CCTV camera surveillance in the small Southland town of Winton has been a hot topic over the past six months.

Ageing CCTV cameras will not be replaced in a Southland town, despite community and police support for the crime-fighting tool.

Last month, the Oreti Community Board voted against replacing four cameras and adding two new ones in the small town of Winton, half an hour north of Invercargill.

The decision was made in spite of a large community push for the upgrades to be made, including support from the police.

It ended a six-month saga, which Southland District councillor Darren Frazer — an appointee to the board — said had drawn a large amount of interest.

“I haven’t seen as much community feedback on any issue on a community board as this one, in seven years on [the] council,” he said.

The issue began in December 2023 when the community board passed a resolution to remove the CCTV project from the district council’s Long-term Plan, saving a budgeted $40,000 in the process.

In April, a chairperson’s report said the cameras were eliciting a lot of feedback and emails, prompting the board to revisit the matter.

The same month, results from a community survey were presented to the board.

Councillor Darren Frazer, an appointee to the Oreti Community Board, says the town has been left disappointed by the decision not to push ahead with upgraded CCTV. (File photo)

It showed 198 people supported the cameras with just five in opposition and one keen to split costs, according to a council report.

Information from the survey undertaken by Winton Area Promotions said the existing cameras had been purchased second-hand by the board in 2015 and were coming to the end of their life.

On June 24, the matter was again discussed at a community board meeting with a recommendation from Southland District Council staff that cameras and associated IT infrastructure be installed at six locations across Winton.

But it was ultimately stymied, five votes to three, which Frazer said left the community disappointed.

“It’s obviously not what the bulk of the community want. It’s disappointing … but it is what it is. [We] have to move on and talk about the next issue.”

Frazer said while Winton wasn’t “the crime centre of New Zealand”, there were still issues, including graffiti.

While he knew some would be in support of the decision, he was yet to meet those people.

Winton is located about half an hour north of Invercargill. (File photo)

“People are really disappointed, and not happy about the decision. I haven’t had anybody personally come to me and say, ‘Great decision – you did the right thing.’

“Personal concerns about privacy trumped general community feedback.”

Frazer was joined in his support for the installation of the cameras by board chairperson Colin Smith and deputy chairperson Philip Dobson.

Those in opposition included board members Dave Diack, Chris Herud, Karen Maw, Katie Allan and Tracy Kennedy.

Council staff had received two estimates for installing CCTV, ranging from $16,000 to $44,000, excluding GST.

Pete Graham, a western Southland sub-area response manager for police, said upgrading crime prevention cameras was an excellent tool for keeping residents and businesses safe.

They could be used not only to prevent incidents, but also to help identify offenders and vehicles, he said.

The feed from the cameras is sent to the Winton police station.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.