Keeping watch: New CCTV working party set up for Western Bay of Plenty District Council

A new CCTV working party has been set up to oversee where new cameras will and won't be set up in the Western Bay. Photo / NZME

A new working party has been set up to head CCTV applications to Western Bay of Plenty District Council.

In a virtual meeting of the council's Performance and Monitoring Committee today, strategic property manager Blaise Williams presented the proposed working party that will advertise for applications to install CCTV cameras, evaluate applications and allocate the annual funding.

The party will comprise of three councillors - one each from the Katikati Waihi Beach ward, Kaimai Ward and Maketu and Te Puke Ward - a staff member and a representative from the police.

The committee chairman volunteered councillors Margaret Murray-Benge, Monique Gray and Allan Sole to the working party.

Deputy mayor John Scrimgeour supported Thwaites' call, saying each councillor had a keen interest in CCTV and had talked about it at length in the past.

Murray-Benge said she was grateful for the vote and it would be important to work with other councils as well.

Williams will make up the staff representation but it was not yet clear who would become the police representative.

Williams said the working party would have the powers to make final decisions relating to funding and location of CCTVs and implementation of the decisions would be managed by staff.

A total of $50,000 was allocated for the installation of CCTV for the 2021 financial year.

Alternatively, such decisions would be made by the Performance and Monitoring Committee or council, based on a working party recommendation.