Australia’s largest safety camera network will be expanded and upgraded to help further protect communities across the fast-growing City of Logan.
Logan City Council’s 2022/2023 Budget provides $250,000 to upgrade the safety camera wireless network which now features more than 1100 separate camera feeds from public spaces and parks.
This follows the installation of 68 cameras in 32 locations over the last financial year and ensures Council is ‘Building on today for a brighter tomorrow’.
As part of Council’s focus on being a ‘safe city’, the wireless network upgrade will include a back-up duplication of key systems to ensure uninterrupted 24/7 safety monitoring.
Officers from Queensland Police Service (QPS) are based in Council’s safety camera monitoring room and the City of Logan network has become vital in helping them detect criminal activity and track and arrest offenders.
Throughout 2021, the monitoring room was utilised by QPS officers more than 22,600 times including 425 requests for camera footage as part of criminal investigations.
Council’s cameras were also used to identify and track more than 300 stolen vehicles over the year.
Council has put a high priority on road safety by allocating budget funding for new portable speed advisory signs and a safety campaign for parking around City of Logan schools.
The solar-powered radar advisory signs display the speed of approaching motorists to serve as a warning.
Safe parking practices to protect school children and the most vulnerable in the community will be reinforced through the school safety campaign.
Council will create a new safety-focussed role which liaises with local schools.
Dedicated resources will be provided to allow proactive, targeted parking patrols and enforcement activities to be conducted using a new, fully electric vehicle with number plate recognition capabilities.
New technology also will be trialled with cameras mounted on parking signs outside schools.
This follows the successful installation of three vehicle clear-capture cameras in known hooning hotspots to help track and prosecute offenders.
City of Logan Mayor Darren Power said Council was committed to working in partnership with the community and the QPS to improve safety across the city.
“We want to provide everyone with a safe and secure environment whether they are at home or out enjoying all our city has to offer,” Councillor Power said.
“Through the budget, Council is ensuring there are eyes on our streets, parks and school precincts as everyone has the right to feel safe in the City of Logan.”
The care and safety of our animals is also considered in the 2022/2023 Budget.
Measures to improve public safety and amenity by encouraging responsible animal keeping in the city include:
- A fee will not apply for cat owners to release their impounded pet provided the cat is registered in the City of Logan, microchipped and desexed and has not been impounded within the last two years. Fees will apply on a sliding scale for cats previously impounded
- Fees for Council’s successful adoption and rehoming service will also operate on a scale from July 1 based on the age of the animal which incentivises the adoption of pets of all ages
Logan City Council has delivered a record $1.014 billion budget for 2022/2023 as the city’s population heads towards half a million people in the next 15 years.
