CCTV surf camera operators defy switch off order

SURF clubs have ignored a directive from the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (GORCAPA) to switch off CCTV surf cameras, despite being told they are operating outside the law.

Surveillance cameras installed on Crown land must be approved by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) under the Marine and Coastal Act, legislation overseen by local land managers such as GORCAPA, but neither has given consent for any of the dozens of cameras operating along Victoria’s coast.

These include those operated by private companies at surf life saving clubs including Torquay, Jan Juc, Fairhaven, Anglesea, Lorne and now Apollo Bay.

All SLSCs along the coast between Torquay and Apollo Bay are GORCAPA tenants, and each has been told to turn off their surf cams as they do not have consent from the authority, but aside from Anglesea – where reports of vandalism have been attributed to the club’s camera being offline – all remain live.
“We will continue to notify all leaseholders that any cameras that do not have our consent must been turned off and raise awareness of our CCTV camera policy and their obligations under this policy,” a GORCAPA spokesperson said.

GORCAPA’s Use of Closed-Circuit Television Policy stipulates that prior to installation, camera operators must demonstrate: the benefit of its use including to wider community; appropriate consultation with stakeholders and processes in place to safeguard the privacy of people likely to be captured on CCTV footage.

The GORCAPA spokesperson also confirmed the Authority was unaware that Apollo Bay was the latest club to go live with a camera operated by US-based company Surfline that includes live vision of both the beach and surf.

Apollo Bay SLSC president Darren Hill declined to answer questions on the issue including when the camera was switched on.

A Swellnet operated camera installed on private property at Wye River that went live earlier this year has since stopped operating.