Aurukun Shire Council in Queensland has received a national award for excellence for it closed-circuit television (CCTV) security system, which is successfully reducing anti-social behaviour in the community.
Installer SAPE Industries took out the Special Security Event or Project worth more than $500,000 category in the 2017 Australian Security Industry Awards for Excellence in October.
Aurukun Mayor Dereck Walpo congratulated SAPE Industries on the award for the system, which is owned by Aurukun Shire Council and operated around the clock by Aurukun police as part of a broader strategy to improve life in Aurukun.
“It is like living in a different town since the installation of 65 CCTV cameras around Aurukun in July 2016,” he said.
“The CCTV system is used extensively by the Aurukun Police to assist in crime prevention and identify offenders.
“The ability to playback footage of actual occurrences in this community has dramatically reduced large scale unrest and ongoing community tensions.
“Infrastructure damage and vandalism of Council property has been considerably reduced and there have been no vehicle thefts since October last year.
“People living in Aurukun feel much safer since the introduction of CCTV which helps when we need to recruit qualified staff to work alongside our local staff.
“Council looks forward to the CCTV network being expanded to the new housing estate, Enyan (Peaceful) Circuit, and within the newly refurbished Wo’uw Ko’alam (Three Rivers) Community Centre.”
Mayor Walpo said a combination of the latest software and Aurukun’s recent fibre optic connectivity ensured quality footage.
“Local electricians have been trained to work on the system with SAPE Industries undertaking quarterly maintenance,” he said.
The $1.7 million-plus system was funded by the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and Aurukun Shire Council.
Council is currently liaising with community stakeholders to support the ongoing operational cost of the system.
