Latrobe City councillors last week resolved to seek state government funding to install additional CCTV cameras across Morwell’s central business district.
It follows an independent feasibility study undertaken during two weeks in July which examined the community safety needs of the town.
Morwell hairdresser Silvana Summerfield welcomed the news and said it would help traders and locals feel more comfortable when in the “problem areas” of the town.
“We’ve been lobbying for six years now to get additional cameras#I put cameras in my shop back then and I’ve been saying for a long time that we need to keep people safe and make sure that Morwell is a town that people want to visit and establish businesses in,” Ms Summerfield said.
“The increasing crime is evident, particularly in Morwell and especially in country areas so we need to put security measures like this in place so we can keep our growing community safe.” There are four existing cameras in Morwell’s central business district and a number of fixed CCTV cameras in and around the Morwell Railway Station.
In a statement to The Express on 24 August, council said the study recommended an additional four new CCTV cameras be installed in the town.
Latrobe City deputy mayor Graeme Middlemiss said additional cameras would be a major step towards improving community safety.
“Both Cr [Alan] McFarlane and I have received representation from business owners and people using the CBD about concerns of anti-social activity,” Cr Middlemiss said.
“The use of CCTV cameras should go a long way to reducing those concerns.
“The professional study of the need for cameras indicated that an additional four [cameras] may be appropriate and this is still council’s view.” Cr Middlemiss said Latrobe City would write to the state government to seek funding under the Public Safety Infrastructure Fund Program.”
A decision on whether council will receive funding is expected to be made in the coming weeks.
