- Minister for Planning
Mildura’s CBD and riverfront have been enhanced with the installation of new CCTV cameras and additional lighting, thanks to a grant of more than $234,000 from the Andrews Labor Government.
A grant from the Public Safety Infrastructure Fund has been used by the Mildura Rural City Council to improve lighting and install 17 CCTV cameras in the Mildura CBD and riverfront precinct to improve community perceptions of safety and help police tackle crime and antisocial behaviour.
Minister for Planning Richard Wynne, representing the Minister for Crime Prevention Ben Carroll, was in Mildura to inspect the completed project today.
The new cameras will help eliminate a number of blind spots in the area’s CCTV coverage and the upgraded lights will enhance the quality of CCTV footage.
The Labor Government’s funding has seen cameras installed at Ninth Street and Deakin Avenue, and Eighth Street and Madden Avenue, helping police identify people moving between the CBD and the riverfront at peak times and assisting in criminal investigations.
Cameras have also been located outside some licensed premises and the Mildura Skate Park, which is an area of ongoing concern for police.
Upgraded lighting along Eighth Street will make it safer for people moving between this popular night-time precinct and the riverfront, as well as enhancing the quality of CCTV footage.
The CCTV cameras will help prevent crime before it happens but will also help Victoria Police prosecute offenders and reduce their response times.
Since July 2015, the government has provided almost $11.8 million in Public Safety Infrastructure Fund grants to support 73 projects across Victoria.
The grants are part of the broader Community Crime Prevention Program, which received $25 million over four years in Victorian Budget 2018/19. This built on the $19.4 million allocated in the 2016/17 budget.
As noted by Minister for Planning Richard Wynne
“The Public Safety Infrastructure Fund is a terrific initiative and highlights the way the Andrews Labor Government and local councils are working together to create safer communities.”
“Many years of effort and planning have gone into transforming Mildura’s riverfront and enhancing the connection between the parks and the CBD to create a thriving community space.”
