The camera upgrade became a flashpoint for locals against a backdrop of community board ructions. Photo: ODT Files
A Southland town has overcome years of disagreement over people's privacy and public costs to proceed with new surveillance cameras.
Winton is one of several spots grappling with whether and how to roll out new, more powerful cameras that police or volunteers monitor to combat crime.
Police in the town say they are "elated" and the local business association call it a "massive relief".
"The community has just thrown their hands in the air and said, 'Oh, when is this ever going to happen?'," said association president Daphne Fairbairn. "Commonsense has prevailed, thank goodness."
The camera upgrade became a flashpoint for locals against a backdrop of community board ructions, including the ousting of the chair in 2024.
Cattery owner Dave Diack was on the previous Oreti Community Board that twice vetoed an upgrade, despite overwhelming local backing - but said it was with good reason.
"The cameras were never declined in the sense that we voted, 'No, we don't want the cameras'," Diack said. "All we wanted was to have the proper privacy arrangements in place for people and to get some certainty around costs."
They received some of that certainty with more info from a working group about a year ago, but in the run-up to the local body elections, they were still waiting for the old data protection rules around the old cameras to be overhauled.
'Singing from the rooftops'
Now, there is a new letter of agreement on privacy between the council and police, a newly-elected board and solid backing for a $65,000 upgrade plan that goes to Southland District Council for sign-off next week.
The $65,000 covers four replacement cameras, and installation of a fifth in a new spot overlooking the playground and skate park.
"Put it this way, if I was on that board now and we had got it over the line, I would be out there singing from the rooftops that we probably would have the most comprehensive agreement with the ... regional police regarding the use of the CCTV cameras," said Diack
Board chair Margie Ruddenklau was sure it ticked all the boxes and did a favour for other towns looking at installing CCTV.
"Yes I think so, absolutely," she said. "There was a lot of work that went in behind it.
"It was a complete update of the agreement... in regard to the information that the CCTV cameras provide around privacy."
Last month, the public was excluded from the community board meeting that discussed the plan and will be excluded again next week at the district council for commercial reasons.
Diack hoped this did not signal any walking back on privacy or uptick in costs.
"I'm hopeful that the town has got an acceptable outcome, not only in terms of price... but also in terms of acknowledging that privacy is an issue", although he would wait to see the details.
'Police are elated'
Police Senior Sergeant Peter Graham began the push for new cameras in 2023.
"Police are elated the Winton community board have renewed CCTV public safety cameras," Graham told RNZ.
The existing cameras had been "invaluable" for deterring and resolving crime, but were at the end of their life.
"I applaud the hard work of those who fought for the cameras and the current community board's decision to make their community safer."
Although the former community board ran out of time to fully green-light the upgrade, in November, the district council felt confident enough to put out a tender.
Fairbairn said the community would benefit hugely from the new cameras to deter and prosecute crime, including petty stuff.
The upgrade had become too political and the previous community board was "overly cautious".
"They've used it for all sorts of reasons and played around with the issue for far too long," Fairbairn said.
Another problem was that the privacy protection agreement was not kept up to date with all the new tech coming on, she added.
Security camera projects around the country have taken different approaches, but often hit problems.
In Featherston, a community patrol group received grants to install cameras, but was now struggling with the ongoing fees from a security firm to monitor them.
On the Hibiscus Coast, north of Auckland, a patrol group [. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/580464/cameras-used-by-police-after-killings-but-who-covers-the-cost pulled out over cost complications], although the work is going ahead
Horowhenua holds itself up as a model of what is affordable. A local trust has volunteers who monitor cameras - including some new ones for spotting number plates - from a room at Levin police station.
Co-ordinator Ted Melton said Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Police Commissioner Richard Chambers were in the room after a thousand boy racers and 200 cars descended on the town last King's Birthday, pelting officers with rocks and bottles.
The Horowhenua Community Camera Trust gave nine hours of footage to police, which the district council called "crucial".
Fairbairn said Winton businesses were OK with camera costs impacting rates.
"It's better to be safe."
Funding was available to the upgrade three years ago, but costs had risen since.
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