CCTV bushland boost follows Mount Coot-tha incidents

Dozens of new CCTV cameras - that feed directly to a 24/7 security room - have been installed around Mount Coot-tha following a rise in concerning incidents involving women.

Dozens of new CCTV cameras have been installed around Mount Coot-tha following a rise in incidents involving women along popular walking tracks.

The cameras will provide 24/7 surveillance to increase safety and deter anti-social behaviour, with each site chosen in consultation with the Queensland Police Service.

Cameras have been fitted with the latest hi-tech software and are directly fed into Council’s 24/7 security room, where officers respond to each incident accordingly.

It comes after a woman was assaulted from behind and pushed to the ground by an unknown man on the Maculata walking track on June 7.

The incident came to light after former NRL player Arana Taumata posted an Instagram story describing how he’d come to the woman’s aid after finding her shaken and dazed moments after the attack.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said a combination of overt and covert cameras had been installed including cameras “hidden in trees and nooks and crannies”. Picture: Liam Kidston

Later that month, police were made aware of a second incident where a man was loitering and acting aggressively towards women on the Litchfield Track and Mahogany Trail on June 27.

North Brisbane District Acting Inspector Shane Hancock said there was no threat or assault but that investigations into the June 7 incident were “ongoing”.

He said the two incidents were not believed to be linked.

“Officers from the North Brisbane District have increased the number of uniformed officers on bicycles, trail bikes, in car and on foot in the area, and will continue to conduct random patrols for the foreseeable future to ensure community safety,” Inspector Hancock said.

“The QPS takes all reports of suspicious behaviour seriously and investigates reports on a case-by-case basis.

“It is inherently a safe environment here but inherently people that use these areas need to be mindful of their surroundings and also just take some personal safety precautions.”

Francoise Le-gall, Beau Seymour, 3, Elena Seymour and Sienna Seymour, 4 months old, take a stroll at Mt Coot-tha. Ms Seymour said she would still wouldn’t walk in the area alone, despite the new cameras. Picture: Liam Kidston

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said a combination of overt and covert cameras had been installed including cameras “hidden in trees and nooks and crannies”.

“We’ve been listening to Brisbane residents who are shocked by recent attacks at Mount Coot-tha and I want everyone to know this behaviour will not be tolerated,” he said.

“These reports have been incredibly concerning.

“Brisbane’s walking tracks are a key part of our incredible lifestyle and I want everyone to be able to enjoy them without fear of harassment and intimidation.”

One of the cameras installed at Mt Coot-tha. Picture: Liam Kidston

Mr Schrinner said the new mobile and fixed cameras are the first in a new “rapid deployment solution” which is part of the Schrinner Council’s Suburban Safety Cameras program.

“It is safe here at Mount Coot-tha … it is now even safer with the cameras we’ve rolled out … since we installed the cameras there have been no further reports of incidents up here which is a great outcome,” he said.

“If there is a hotspot location such as we have had here recently in Mount Coot-tha, we can talk to the police, get their feedback and then quite quickly deploy cameras to that precinct.”

But mother-of-two Elena Seymour, who was walking the popular JC Slaughter Falls track on Tuesday morning, questioned whether the cameras would be a “deterrent”.

“I would usually just come here by myself with the kids but I wouldn’t come now unless I had another person with me,” Ms Seymour said.

“What do the cameras achieve? Does something still happen to someone and then you’ve got it on footage? … I don’t really know what cameras do to be honest.”

While another woman on track said she wished the cameras had been installed “sooner”.

“I only do the Slaughter Falls track because it seems to be the busiest and then obviously I come at a time when there’s heaps of people around,” she said.

“Women should be able to feel safe when they are going out and exercising and doing things to nourish their bodies.”

The new cameras will add to Council’s existing network of more than 3750 safety cameras.