CCTV installed in main town centres
9 July 2019
CCTV cameras will soon be installed in Waipā's main town centres as part of a push by Waipa District Council to make the district a safer place to live and spend time in.
Thirteen cameras will be installed in Cambridge and Te Awamutu at several key intersections and along main roads in both hubs. The cameras will be installed in August and are expected to be up and running by September.
Council's transportation manager, Bryan Hudson said the cameras would also be used to monitor traffic movement to inform future decisions around roading infrastructure.
The cameras will also act as a deterrent for crime and gives us a means of identifying those committing crime when it does happen.
It is estimated the system will cost just over $80,000 per year to run. The bulk of this will go towards licencing and communication fees and some towards repairs, camera cleaning and power.
In Te Awamutu, four of the six cameras will be installed at the SH3/Ohaupo Rd and Benson Rd intersection and the Ohaupo Rd and Arawata St roundabout, and two on Alexander St.
In Cambridge, three of the seven cameras will be installed at the Hamilton Rd and Victoria Street intersection near St Andrew's Church, at the intersection of Queen St and Victoria St, outside Hello World on Duke Street and at the Cook St roundabout in Leamington.
One camera, which will be positioned near the Victoria Street bridge, will be linked with an electronic sign board located at the north side of the bridge which will notify and redirect vehicles that are too large to cross.
A full list of all camera locations can be found at waipadc.govt.nz/cctv.
A workstation to monitor all 13 cameras has been set up at the Te Awamutu Police station. It will be monitored during the day and on certain nights on behalf of police by Comm Safe and volunteers.
Once the cameras are up and running, Hudson said anyone wanting to access recordings that could be related to crime should report to police, not Council.