CCTV push for Warrnambool's breakwater to stop vandal attacks on boats

The issue was raised at this week's city council meeting where councillors adopted a CCTV policy which guides council's management and use of the technology.

Tammy Good said she arrived at the harbour just before Christmas to find her 50 to 60-year-old boat floating like a submarine below the water line.

"It was damaged, seats smashed, gear stolen, and worse, deliberately sunk," she said in a letter to the council in response to a call for community comment on the policy.

"During the summer months in particular, there is an increase in vandalism and bad behaviour in this precinct."

"Our dinghy is moored at the pier and is a constant target for swimmers and hoons.

"It's a perennial problem, it's getting worse."

Ms Good said she had previously reported such problems to police who told her if they had CCTV they could act quickly to either intervene or identify the vandals and thieves.

"Unfortunately, there is a growing sense of entitlement from some young hoons, who see these boats as toys, and don't care that it affects our livelihoods," she said.

Ms Good uses the boat probably 300 days a year to walk horses in Lady Bay.

"Those old boats I've got are hand-made. You don't get the craftsman that can fix something like that," she said. Ms Good said she was able to tow out the boat "like a submarine" and have it repaired.

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She said about a month ago, another boat was untied and left to drift away.

Luckily it was noticed by a fisherman who alerted the owner before it floated past the end of the pier.

Ms Good said that if there was CCTV the police could send a squad car and "nip it in the bud".

She said CCTV was something professional fishermen had long asked for.

The council's harbour reference group committee member Neville Dance said it "just makes sense" to have CCTV at the breakwater.

"It would give fishermen a sense of security as well," Mr Dance said. They said the CCTV at the nearby Pavilion did not cover the breakwater area very well.

Cr Otha Akoch said because we lived in an era where we needed safety the most, CCTV was essential.

Cr Richard Ziegeler said he had personally experienced and witnessed the multiple screens in the watch house at the city's police station keeping an eye on various areas around the town.

"It's an amazing technology and the police are happy to have it, happy to monitor it," Cr Ziegeler said.

"It does enhance the security and safety for people at night time around the town so I think it's a marvellous piece of technology that's working well for us."

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