Community safety & CCTV

• To identify and prevent illegal and/or inappropriate behaviour in the Cairns CBD that has the potential to alarm or threaten citizens, or to result in damage of property and the good order of the Cairns CBD.
• To permit the controlled provision of information by Council to the agencies of the Department of Emergency Services (Police, Ambulance, Fire) and to other statutory bodies with powers to prosecute to enable the development of effective responses to observed incidents.

• To assist in identifying and coordinating responses to incidents that negatively impact public safety for the community and visitors to Cairns.
• To obtain reliable information that may be used as evidence.
• To operate according to recognised industry standards and legislation, as detailed in the Operating Procedures, in relation to the provision of security services and risk management.
• To operate with efficiency, impartiality and integrity.
• To acknowledge that personal protection has priority over property protection.
• To ensure that the public interest is paramount over the privacy of the individual and the private interests of system operators.
• To operate with regard to the public requirements for due care, diligence and confidentiality.

Note: CCTV Video footage is only stored for a maximum of 30 days before it is overwritten.

Access to Council's CCTV camera footage is restricted as outlined below:

• Council's CCTV policy governing access to footage is guided by the Information Privacy Act 2009 and the Right to Information Act 2009.
• For general members of the public, access to CCTV data must be made through a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction for example court orders, warrants, prerogative writs and subpoenas.

Applications to view Council's CCTV data may be made by:

• Police
• Statutory bodies with powers to prosecute, for example:
  • Department of Environment and Science
  • Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
  • Department of Community Youth Justice and Cultural Affairs

For the purpose of:

• providing evidence in criminal proceedings
• providing evidence in civil proceedings
• preventing and reducing crime and disorder
• investigating and detecting crime (including identifying offenders)
• identifying witnesses.

Members of the general public are advised to speak with police to obtain footage or seek legal advice.

If your enquiry relates to any of the above purposes, a request can be made through a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction - eg court orders, warrants, prerogative writs and subpoenas.