Chamber of Commerce calls for CCTV

The Queenstown Chamber of Commerce has appealed to the Queenstown Lakes District Council to budget $50,000 for a closed-circuit television system for Queenstown in the 2010-11 annual plan.

In a submission to the draft plan, chamber chief executive Ann Lockhart said CCTV would provide "significant safety benefits and should be installed throughout the downtown area as soon as possible.

"The chamber has been actively lobbied, over a long period of time, by members, landlords, retailers and the wider community to have CCTV cameras installed.

"The police have also expressed their concerns to the chamber at the lack of basic surveillance cameras in the CBD area," she said.

"In order to retain the vibrancy, economic viability and reputation of Queenstown as a sophisticated and leading resort, the safety and security of both the local community as well as visitors to Queenstown is paramount."

CCTV was urgently needed following some recent serious incidents in the downtown area.

CCTV would provide additional safety and security for those in the town centre, especially at night, and would allow the town to be monitored when required.

It would provide a recording of any incidents in the town centre, making identification and apprehension of those involved easier.

It would result in a reduction in crime, including assaults and disorder, as well as a reduction in arrests because of its ability to deter those people who were likely to cause problems in the area.

The council investigated the introduction of CCTV in 2007 but it was rejected because of cost.

"Technical advancements in recent years, such as wireless technology, means the installation costs have decreased significantly.

"Full-time monitoring of the CCTV is not necessary in the first instance.

"However, monitoring can be used at critical times and expanded as required if necessary in the future."

The community and the tourism industry would benefit through having a CCTV system and the initial costs and ongoing costs should be funded by rates, the majority coming from commercial rates.

The chamber did not have exact costings but estimated it would be about $150,000 to $200,000.

"While the tender process is undertaken, an amount of $50,000 be put aside in the annual budget for 2010-11 and subsequent years until the system is fully implemented and operational."

About 300 submissions were received on the draft annual plan.

A public hearing will be held on June 2-3.

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