CCTV cameras installed on public land out of Whanganui council's hands

Signs warning people coming in and out of the Mowhanau Rd, which leads to Kai Iwi beach. Photo / Stuart Munro

A CCTV camera was able to be installed at Kai Iwi on public land despite privacy concerns from the Whanganui District Council.

Emails obtained by the Wanganui Chronicle show the council specifically did not want cameras set up outside 91 Mowhanau Rd, on public land.

"The decision has been made not to allow a camera of any type on council land at the entrance to Mowhanau," council employee Elana Macdonald said.

"There is just too much potential for misuse and breaches of the Privacy Act."

Kai Iwi resident Craig Munro raised the issue with council at the end of last year that a camera had gone up anyway.

Macdonald was surprised and visited the camera herself to see if it was on council land.

She confirmed it was.

The cameras in operation on council land at the entrance to Mowhanau. Photo / Stuart Munro

Macdonald then told Munro she would get to the bottom of the issue and responded more than a month later.

"Approval has been given to the group to leave the camera there - on the condition that it is only monitored by police," she wrote.

But it was later discovered the council was not able to approve or decline the camera.

The general manager of property at the council, Leighton Toy, clarified the power pole was owned by Powerco and any approval rested with that company.

"It's not really for council to approve or disapprove a camera on a power pole.

"It's not council property."

He said Elana Macdonald had initially looked at the issue as being something council could decide on, as it was on council land.

"It's got our endorsement -- not approval because it doesn't need it -- for that [the cameras] to remain,' Toy said, though this was as long as only the police were accessing it.

But that was only an endorsement and council had no way of ensuring only police were handling the footage collected by the camera.

Toy pointed out most of the Mowhanau community wanted the camera for crime prevention, and just one resident had concerns about it.

Rural Community Board member Michael Dick emailed council on behalf of the residents who wanted the camera, and sought council approval in November after the camera had already gone up.

In the emails he made no mention of contacting Powerco.

Craig Munro said the council was passing the buck.

"Everybody's been pretty keen to step back and point the finger elsewhere, which has been pretty frustrating from my point of view.

"Who's keeping an eye on what people are doing with this information?"

He said CCTV cameras were fine when they were down quiet, rural roads.

"I have no issues with that. There are some real problems for landowners to deal with, and there is minimal public use on those roads.

"I am concerned about the expansion of these cameras on to high use public areas ... Every Whanganui resident visiting the beach is now subject to surveillance by this group."

In 2015 the Harmful Digital Communications Act amended the Privacy Act.

The amendment means that if someone records information and then discloses it and that is harmful or offensive to a person, the Privacy Commissioner can investigate.

Powerco said it had received an application to use the power pole outside 91 Mowhanau Rd, but refused to say when.

It said it was up to the third party - the Mowhanau residents in this case - behind the cameras to administer the footage.