Community Safety CCTV and Technology Initiatives

The proposed Home CCTV Rebate Program would provide financial assistance to residents who install eligible CCTV systems on their private properties. The proposed structure included rebates of up to $500 for participants who join the pilot program, or $200 for those who install systems independently.

The City explored three different approaches for a potential Home CCTV Rebate Program. Each option provided varying levels of community participation and City of Melville administration oversight.

Option 1 – Unmanaged Rebate

Residents who install eligible CCTV could receive a simple, unmanaged rebate. Indicative rebate: $200 per application.

Option 2 – Managed Rebate

A structured rebate program similar to those used by other local governments, including basic technical standards (e.g. minimum camera quality and registration with WA Police Cam-Map). Indicative rebate: $500 per application.

Option 3 – Managed Rebate with Opt-in Pilot Program

Combines the managed rebate with an opt-in pilot program in selected areas. Participants could share limited, real-time CCTV alerts with the City’s Community Safety Service to help respond to incidents more quickly. Indicative rebate: $200 for standard participation or $500 for pilot participants.

Proposed HOME CCTV Rebate Scheme

The pilot program would operate within a designated trial area, allowing participating homes to connect compatible CCTV cameras to a City-managed network. This network would send automated alerts to the City’s Community Safety Service during antisocial hours, enabling a faster response - without any direct intervention from the property owner.

No. Participation in the rebate or pilot program would be voluntary. The City will ensure strict compliance with privacy legislation and data management protocols to protect individual rights and personal information.

At the April 2025 Ordinary Meeting of Council, Council resolved to:

Approves the draft Community Safety Technology Plan for community consultation, subject to the following:

1. Reference to the facility security upgrade projects are removed from the Community Safety Technology Rollout Plan, noting that these projects will instead be considered through the City’s annual asset renewal and maintenance program.
2. The proposed Home CCTV Rebate Program is to be considered in a separate consultation process.
3. The principles and objectives to update the CCTV Policy be included in the consultation.
4. The proposed budget for the different proposals be detailed in the consultation.

Notes that an Elected Member Engagement Session to discuss the consultation findings will be scheduled prior to the item being presented to Council in December 2025 for further consideration.

Notes that the Safer Melville Plan will undergo a formal review, with an amended Plan to be presented to Council in the 2025–2026 financial year.  

At the November 2025 Ordinary Meeting of Council, Council resolved to defer the consultation findings to March 2026, with the report now scheduled for the March 2026 Ordinary Council Meeting.

The draft Plan drew on input from WA Police, other local governments, an internal service review, and feedback from the wider City of Melville community collected through the Council Plan engagement, Our Future Melville. The recent public consultation stage sought community support for the Plan and the proposed actions.

Following consultation, community feedback was tabled and presented with an officer report item to Council for their consideration at an Ordinary Meeting of Council. 

Council supported the rebate and CCTV plan - more information can be found within the meeting minutes. 

Meeting minutes

Following the Council resolution in April 2025, the City launched an initial awareness campaign in mid-2025 to build community knowledge and understanding of the proposed community safety initiatives. This early phase focused on education and awareness, encouraging residents to learn about the proposals and follow the project page ahead of the formal consultation period.
 
In line with the resolution, the community was invited to view the draft Community Safety Technology Roll-out Plan and provide feedback through two separate consultation processes - the draft Plan and the proposed Home CCTV Rebate Program. Community could share their comments online, in person and over the phone.
 
Community engagement was open until Sunday, 14 December 2025. 

We collect basic details, such as your name and suburb, to help ensure feedback is genuine, representative, and can be grouped by area where needed. This information also helps the City understand who has participated and evaluate whether engagement has reached a broad and diverse cross-section of the community.

All feedback will be managed in accordance with the City’s Privacy Policy. Personal details will remain confidential and will not be published in any report.

Yes, we encouraged community members to support others who need assistance, provided consent has been given. City of Melville staff were also available to assist, whether in person, over the phone, or through other accessible channels.

Select the ‘Follow Engagement’ button at the top of this page to receive email updates about this project.

The draft Plan was developed following a review of the City’s Community Safety services, which identified opportunities to enhance safety through better use of technology. At the Ordinary Meeting of Council in April 2025, Council approved the draft Community Safety Technology Roll-out Plan for community consultation, with a report originally due back in November 2025.

The consultation period fell during the local government election, and under the City’s Caretaker Policy, community consultation could not occur during this time. As a result, consultation did not proceed as initially planned.

At the November 2025 Ordinary Meeting of Council, Council resolved to defer the consultation findings to March 2026, with the report now scheduled for the March 2026 Ordinary Council Meeting.

The Plan outlines a phased approach to introduce new safety measures across the City, including:

• Installation of fixed CCTV in selected public open spaces
• Deployment of mobile CCTV units
• Security upgrades to key City buildings
• Proposed updates to the City’s CCTV Policy to strengthen governance and privacy management.
• Rebate subsidy program.

The City currently operates a limited number of CCTV cameras in key activity areas and major public spaces. These are supported by mobile units and a MelSafe 24/7 Community Safety Service that responds to incidents and works closely with WA Police.

Following adoption of the Community Safety Technology Rollout Plan at the March 2026 Ordinary Meeting of Council, the project will be funded by the City of Melville and State Government grant funding, subject to future budget allocations.

Meeting minutes

The draft Plan included preliminary cost estimates for proposed installations and upgrades. 

Estimated Financials CCTV Fixed and Roll-out Plan

Proposed fixed CCTV locations

Research shows that CCTV can act as a deterrent to antisocial and criminal behaviour, assist in incident response, and support police investigations. It is most effective when used alongside other community safety strategies such as lighting, design improvements, and patrols.

MelSafe is the City of Melville’s integrated community safety and compliance service, bringing together Rangers, Parking & Compliance Patrols, and the Community Safety Service into one coordinated team.

Melsafe