Locals face $300,000 bill as roadside CCTV cameras destroyed by vandals
An Aussie council has warned the viral act of vandalism – praised by some in the community – comes with a seriously hefty bill.
Mobile roadside cameras have been targeted and maliciously damaged by a group of young men, leaving a local Aussie council with what's expected to be a very large bill to replace the monitoring devices.
Ultimately it will be the local residents in Townsville who are forced to cough up after vandals destroyed two CCTV monitoring cameras in the past week.
Video of at least one incident was shared on social media over the weekend. In the clip, about a dozen young men, most seen covering their face with a balaclava or hood, can be seen pushing over a camera trailer before swinging on the boom and appearing to hit the camera.
Footage shared to Instagram over the weekend drew a mixed reaction from Aussies over the "night time shenanigans" with plenty of people actually praising the destructive antics and describing the vandals as "legends".
"Not all heroes wear capes," responded one person. "Good job fellas," another commented. Some people, however, were critical and slammed the group for their vandalism.
"Total of 49 braincells combined," one person chided.
Related: Millions of drivers 'put on notice' with new hi-tech roadside cameras
Yahoo understands the cameras were not specifically monitoring road users and are not managed by Queensland's Department of Transport and Main Roads. Instead, they are CCTV cameras owned and operated by the local government area to tackle anti-social behaviour and crime.
According to council officials, two camera trailers were severely damaged in the suburbs of Woodstock and Bohle.
"Over the last week two of Council’s mobile CCTV camera trailers have been destroyed by vandals," a spokesperson for the council told the Townsville Bulletin.
"The total replacement cost of both trailers is estimated to be more than $300,000 to ratepayers."
Police are investigating the incidents with members of the public who have any information urged to come forward.
"Townsville City Council has an extensive CCTV camera network of more than 600 fixed cameras and six mobile trailer cameras that can be deployed across the city to reinforce Council’s commitment to community safety," the spokesperson said.
Yahoo News has contacted Queensland Police and the Townsville Council for further comment.
Mobile road cameras repeatedly targeted around Australia
Amid rising road death tolls, states and territories across the country have been rolling out fleets of new portable roadside cameras with increased capabilities to catch drivers for a myriad of road offences. However there has been a number of cases where the cameras have been damaged or set on fire by locals.
Earlier this month a roadside camera trailer was set alight while set up alongside a regional Queensland road with a spokesperson from the department of Transport and Main Roads telling Yahoo "such acts of vandalism put communities at risk by spreading fires and encouraging unlawful driving behaviour".
In July, a spokesperson for Tasmania's Department of State Growth told Yahoo authorities were exploring new ways to keep drivers safe on the roads after suspected arson attacks on mobile cameras.
"After several suspected arson incidents in the first half of 2024, authorities are now reconsidering how best to roll out the cameras in their ongoing bid to reduce the likelihood of injuries and crashes on our roads," the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile a Tasmanian man faced court in August and pleaded guilty to interfering with roadside cameras by moving them so drivers would not be detected. He was ultimately fined $900 for what he reportedly described in court as a "public service".
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