The LNP says it will install cameras to combat crime in a Sunshine Coast town centre if elected later this month.
The leader of the Opposition, David Crisafulli, announced a $500,000 commitment to deliver a CitySafe CCTV network in Nambour.
The party’s candidate for Nicklin Marty Hunt said locals had been calling for action for years. But Labor’s local MP Rob Skelton said a range of crime-fighting measures have been implemented, including the opening of a police station.
Mr Crisafulli said the CCTV would bring significant benefits to locals.
“The LNP will put more eyes on the street to support police on the beat in Nambour,” he said.
“The LNP’s commitment will not only deter crime before it occurs but it will help police identify offenders and put a stop to the repeat youth crime that’s holding our communities to ransom.”
Mr Hunt detailed how cameras would operate.
“This state-of-the-art CCTV network will be a big boost to safety in the Nambour CBD, providing business with more security and the community with better safety,” he said.
“(It) will ensure officers at the Nambour police station can monitor activity in the CBD and respond immediately when required.”
Mr Hunt said locals had appealed for the cameras to be installed.
“Nambour businesses and residents have been calling for this for years,” he said, before suggesting there was a “youth crime crisis” in Queensland.
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But Mr Skelton said Labor had introduced a range of measures to help curb crime during the past few years.
“I am proud of what I have been able to deliver locally for community safety,” he said.
“It was the Labor government that opened a brand-new Nambour Police Station in 2022, staffed with 30 officers for this community.
“And, in the 2024 Budget, we invested $2 million towards upgrading the local PCYC to ensure they have the facilities they need to deliver important community services, including Project Booyah, a proven program to help young people make better choices.”
Mr Skelton claimed the number of reported offences by young people on the Sunshine Coast was down 12.9 per cent from January to September, compared to the same time period last year.
“This is a positive step in the right direction but there is always more to do,” he said.
“It’s why our government has locked in a POLAIR helicopter for the Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay, and will deliver an extra 98 police personnel across the district.”
The Nambour of Chamber of Commerce showed its support for the idea via social media.
“CCTV with live stream would both deter and allow faster response to de-escalate any issues on the streets that impact on the safety of people and the protection of property in the town’s hot spots,” the group stated.
The NCC stated that the CCTV proposal “received a favourable response” from attendees at a ‘meet the candidates’ event early last week. They said it is “one measure to meet the needs of the Nambour community who work or shop in the town centre.”
Nicklin looms as a key seat in the state election. It was won by Mr Skelton by a narrow margin last time.
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