Western Bay CCTV Fund Opens With $50,000 to Spend on Safety

The Western Bay of Plenty District Council has opened applications for its annual CCTV Fund, with $50,000 on offer to help communities install cameras in shared public spaces. The scheme is designed to reduce crime and discourage antisocial behaviour by expanding the rohe's existing camera network. Since the fund launched four years ago, it has helped put 25 new cameras in place across the district.

To qualify, cameras must be sited in publicly accessible areas rather than on private land. Applications are assessed by a panel that includes council operations manager Kerrie Little and a New Zealand Police representative. Little encouraged anyone who sees a need in their neighbourhood to apply, even if they have been unsuccessful in previous rounds, noting that locals are best placed to identify where cameras would be most useful.

New installations funded through the 2024 round included the Poripori Road swimming hole carpark, the Steele Road/Athenree Road intersection, the Pongakawa Station Road/Old Coach Road intersection, and Plummers Point Road near Pats Lane. Application forms are available at WBOPDC library and service centres in Waihī Beach, Katikati, Ōmokoroa, Barkes Corner and Te Puke, or online at westernbay.govt.nz/cctvfund. The deadline for submissions is 5pm on Friday, 14 November.

Originally published in Katikati News (Sun Media).