Campbelltown Council will trial mobile surveillance cameras for four months following reports of dumped asbestos and chemicals
A northeastern council will install mobile surveillance cameras for four months in known hot spots for illegal dumping and hoons, with the locations to remain under wraps.
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Concerns with dumped asbestos and chemicals on verges and other suspicious behaviour in Campbelltown has prompted a $6400 mobile surveillance camera trial.
Campbelltown Council rubber-stamped on Tuesday night a four month-trial to monitor illegal dumping and hoon activities.
The council has been asked to remove dumped asbestos from roadsides and reserves, a new council report reveals, while other chemicals and liquids have been “illegally discarded”.
“These substances could find their way into our waterways causing irreversible damage to the environment,” the reports reads.
However, the council is keeping the location of the battery-powered cameras a secret.
It will only say there are “known areas” – including secluded community reserves and road verges without adjacent housing – which are “commonly used for illegal dumping” as there is little passive surveillance.
“Illegal dumping and hoon driving are quite common complaints received from the community,” the report reads.
Mayor Jill Whittaker said the council had to engage contractors on seven occasions over the past 12 months to remove dumped asbestos, with local verges a common dumping ground.
“There are some known common dumping sites which would be monitored by a camera,” Ms Whittaker said.
“There’s been a lot of dumping going on.”
There were 579 complaints to the council in 2019/20 relating to illegal dumping and littering compared to 566 in 18/19.
Campbelltown residents are also dumping rubbish on the verge under the belief the council offers free kerbside hard rubbish collection.
Meanwhile, hoon activity has also been a problem in Church Road, Paradise, leaving tyre marks, property damage and vehicle crashes.
Council staff say Port Adelaide Enfield and Salisbury councils have successfully trialled cameras in hot spots for illegal dumping and hoon driving.
“This has led to cars involved in hoon activities being impounded and prosecutions made,” the report reads.
“According to the local residents, there has been a marked reduction in hoon driving behaviours creating a safer community.
“(Salisbury Council) staff have noticed that where the cameras are placed there has also been a significant reduction in the occurrence of vandalism, illegal dumping and graffiti.
“They have reduced hoon activities in selected streets and reduced staff time in collecting illegally dumped rubbish and the disposal costs.”
PAE’s solar-powered cameras send alerts when movement is detected, which is then relayed to staff via their mobile phones or email, and footage can be viewed in real time or retrieved from recorded footage.
The council’s general manager of infrastructure services, Andrian Wiguna, hoped to get the trial up and running “as soon as possible” and camera footage could be provided to SA Police.
Cr Anna Leombruno said the trial could be expanded if it was a success.
“If it’s effective we can add more,” Cr Leombruno said.
“To not do something is a mistake. We see a lot of this illegal dumping at the moment.”