🟡 Flood-proofed roads

🗓️ SOMETHING HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND

Summer Beach Hop rolls into the heart of Coffs Harbour this Saturday 14 for a morning of classic cars and rock ‘n’ roll. 

From 9am at Harbour Drive and City Square:

• Up to 20 classic cars on display

• The JRDS Dance Crew performing their Handjive/Grease routine

• A LIVE outdoor broadcast with Triple M’s Moffee (9am–12noon)

• Live music

• Giveaways

TOP TWO STORIES

🟡 Why Coffs Harbour wants police to have live access to public cameras

The City of Coffs Harbour is planning to give police live access to its video network – including closed-circuit television (CCTV). The move, which council says could help deter crime and aid investigations, is currently under consultation and a draft version of the policy has been made available for community feedback.

What happened: The City of Coffs Harbour council’s proposal was put forward at the February council meeting.

In practice, it would give police live access to its video network, CCTV, fixed and body-worn cameras, cameras attached to council vehicles and hand-held cameras such as smart phones. 

Not so fast: Allowing these changes will require an amendment to the City’s Video Surveillance in Public Areas Policy.

• At the February Council Meeting, councillors agreed to put the new draft policy on public exhibition, meaning anyone can provide feedback over a 28 days period.

What’s the policy: Coffs Harbour council intends to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with NSW Police to allow the live feed access. 

Mayor Nikki Williams said the memorandum would establish the “guard-rails” covering privacy, controlled rights of access and legal covenants. 

• “The draft policy lists the various forms of video which may be taken in public areas, and how this can – and cannot – be used,” General Manager Murray Wood said in a statement.

• For example, it states cameras will be used for law enforcement purposes only, which promote public safety, protect assets and assist the City’s Authorised Officers in conducting lawful investigations.

Wood also confirmed police can already access the council’s video, but there’s a time lag in the request process and described the current arrangement as a “drain on staff time”. 

“It also helps us to protect the community’s public assets,” Wood said. 

What does an expert say? Doctor Justin Ellis, a senior lecturer in criminology at the University of Newcastle School of Law and Justice, said crime in public areas can be deterred by creating vibrant and activated public spaces that people want to use.

• “CCTV cameras should not be a substitute for the creation of welcoming and inclusive, vibrant public spaces, that in themselves can deter crime,” Ellis told the Mid North Coaster. 

Ellis said it would be useful to have more clarity on how privacy and other rights would be protected if the police were given access to the live CCTV footage. 

Council exemptions: The Council’s draft policy (Video Surveillance on Public and other Lands Policy) states that local councils, like the City of Coffs Harbour, are exempt from section 11 and section 18 of the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 No 133.

• Section 11 refers to collecting personal information when using a council installed  CCTV camera for  the purpose of filming a public place,  if the camera is positioned so no other land is filmed.

• Section 18 is about disclosing personal information through live stream from a council CCTV camera to NSW Police.

What next: Public submissions can be made until March 29. Once the public exhibition period is over, a report will be brought back to council for consideration.

The draft policy can be viewed here.

🟡 MidCoast included in $16m plan to flood-proof national park roads as extreme weather risks grow

Government funding will be put toward flood-proofing damaged roads in MidCoast national parks as the region faces a future of more extreme weather. 

What happened: The MidCoast LGA has been included in a $16.2 million grant to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) announced on Monday.

• The grant – which also includes the Central Coast – will be used to upgrade roads directly impacted by consecutive natural disasters, not only repairing them but also preparing for future significant rainfall and other extreme weather events.

Getting ready for future disasters: The money comes from the federal and state government Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), an initiative aiming to  rebuild disaster-affected roads, bridges and infrastructure across the country “to make them better able to withstand future natural disasters.”

• The National Climate Risk Assessment found that extreme weather events are predicted to worsen as a result of ongoing burning of fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas.

• Riverine, flash flooding, coastal and estuarine flooding were all included in the report’s 10 priority hazards.

• Where will the roads be fixed: Locally, the upgrades will happen on disaster-damaged roads in Myall Lakes National Park, Khappinghat National Park, and – in collaboration with MidCoast Council – a key tourism road route linking Bulahdelah and Bombah Point.

  What’s involved: Works will include raising and sealing sections of gravel road to improve flood resilience, as well as road surface upgrades and the installation of additional culverts and drainage structures to improve under-road drainage.

  • Upgrades to priority fire trails – including turning and passing bays – will also be included in the funded projects.

  Why is the government doing this?

  The government says improving infrastructure to better withstand extreme weather events, like flood-proofing roads, will lower the risk of economic and environmental impact following natural disasters in the future.

• “Communities across the Central Coast and Mid North Coast know all too well the disruption caused by floods and severe weather, and this funding is about making sure vital access roads in our national parks are rebuilt stronger so people can get back to enjoying these places sooner,” Minister for Recovery, Janelle Saffin, said in a statement.

• “Through the Infrastructure Betterment Fund, we are learning from past disasters and investing in practical improvements that reduce the impact of future events, protect local jobs and tourism, and provide more certainty for communities when extreme weather hits.”
  

  Minister for Emergency Management, Kristy McBain, said the federal government is committed to building disaster-resilient infrastructure, particularly in areas that are more vulnerable.

📹 VIDEO OF THE DAY

I asked locals on the Port Macquarie pavement where they like to visit on the Mid North Coast.

Here’s what they had to say…

You can also watch the video on TikTok, YouTube or our Facebook page.