After hoons took over Marine Parade in January 2021, Council promised to act, but solutions to prevent hoon driving may not be available in time for summer.
Hoon driving is an unfortunate and frequent occurrence along Port Phillip's foreshore, especially in summer. From St Kilda to Port Melbourne, residents have reported hoon driving, antisocial behaviour, violence, excessive noise, and property damage. The dangerous driving has compromised the safety of pedestrians and other vehicles, and has had a detrimental impact on residents and on community safety.
The most notable recent example was in January 2021. St Kilda witnessed hundreds of people gathering on Marine Pde outside the BP service station to watch burnouts. The crowd quickly turned violent with bottles and rocks being thrown including at a police car trying to break up the group. Police later raided homes from Dandenong to Hillside suburbs, arresting 14 people and seizing 12 cars.
Video footage from the St Kilda hoon driving incident can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/NrmLTPrZ7Ck
At the time, Port Phillip Council promised to help prevent similar episodes by deploying CCTV cameras for police use. A community petition was presented to Council in February, and Council decided to seek funding from State Government, in a joint application with Port Phillip Police, for the purchase of a mobile CCTV camera. Council also applied to the Department of Transport to have six fixed cameras installed.
In June, the state government rejected the application, so Council borrowed and trialled the City of Stonnington’s camera (pictured) which was found to be effective in assisting police to identify, locate, and respond to hooning. Council submitted a grant application to the Federal Government in August, but the outcome of the grant application will not be known until October.
The Port Melbourne Road Safety Group (PMRSG), concerned about the lack of progress, presented another petition to Council in August, and at the September 15 Council meeting the petition was considered. 7 of 9 councillors voted for better surveillance, reduced speed limits, physical barriers, new signs and parking restrictions.
FOR: Crs Crawford, Cunsolo, Bond, Sirakoff, Martin, Pearl and Clark
AGAINST: Crs Baxter and Copsey
Two Councillors voted against the motion stating different reasons for their vote. Cr Copsey did not want to spend the money. Cr Baxter cited many reasons including: “nobody else in Port Phillip has even told us what they think that they could be surveilled anywhere, anytime by a mobile piece of equipment" and “we can’t give police everything they want”.
Conversely, Cr Clark supported this motion, stating this issue had been raised many times by residents, councillors and police over the past year, and the community was tired of waiting for action as summer approaches again. Cr Pearl thanked the police for their service to the local community, and local community groups for promoting mobile CCTV to reduce hoon driving and anti-social activity. He acknowledged this is not council's primary function but stated that if the community is asking Council to look at this issue then Council should partner with state government and police to deliver the much needed equipment.
A mobile CCTV trailer would cost $117,120, with an additional $5,000 per annum required for maintenance, insurance, registration, and data costs. This amount would be a rounding error in the City of Port Phillip budget, yet make an enormous difference to the local community and improve community safety.
The City of Melbourne operate a Safe Cities Camera Program which involves 65 CCTV cameras with an additional 315 cameras funded by state government after the Bourke St incident in 2017. City of Melbourne employs specially trained security contractors to monitor the cameras, record incidents and pass information onto police. They also operate a security patrol vehicle that is fitted with 360 degree CCTV surveillance cameras on weekend nights.
Council has dithered on this issue since the events of last summer. A recent interview of Mayor Louise Crawford with ABC’s Virginia Trioli confirmed that Council has no definitive plan to stop hooning this summer, despite it being debated in chambers 8 months ago. No-one wants to see more hoon driving along Marine Parade this summer, and no one wants pedestrians and the community to be put at risk. With hindsight, Council should have budgeted for the acquisition of a mobile CCTV camera given the risk that the grant applications failing.
It is clear most councillors are supportive of community safety and neighbourhood amenity, Residents should demand that Council purchase a mobile CCTV if the Federal Government rejects Council’s application, so that this summer, our roads can be a safe place for our community to unwind after a tough year for everyone.
Image of the City of Stonnington and Victoria Police mobile CCTV trailer:
https://sen.news/2019/10/11/city-of-stonnington-seeks-cctv-access-control-services/city-of-stonnington-mobile-cctv-trailer/
