A security system of up to eight cameras monitoring the Oamaru Harbour area is being considered by the Waitaki District Council, ending years of procrastination on the issue.
Yesterday, the council discussed a ''pre-draft'' 2014-15 annual plan which has a 3.2% rates increase as a starting point.
The discussion was to firm up projects so staff can formalise the draft plan to go out for public comment on March 14.
The CCTV plan has come from a group working with community safety and development facilitator Helen Algar, a $60,000 community project of which the council's share would be $20,000 from rates.
The plan is to install eight wireless cameras, with potential to expand to 16, which would feed to a transmitter with a range of 30km on Cape Wanbrow, then to a hub at the Oamaru police station which could be monitored on Friday and Saturday nights by vetted and trained volunteers.
At other times, footage would be recorded and available to view if something happened.
The first eight cameras would be at ''hot spots'' around the harbour. The additional eight could be a mix of fixed cameras and portable units which could be used at other spots or installed temporarily at the locations of short-duration community events.
Apart from council's contribution, donations in kind include a pole and installation funding from Network Waitaki, businesses agreeing to have cameras on their premises and pay electricity costs and Oamaru lawyer Bill Dean offering to prepare the legal site notices.
Mr Dean, at the public forum, said that while he was dubious about some bans, such as liquor or dogs, he supported the use of CCTV cameras, with public good outweighing personal privacy rights.
It had been discussed for so long by the council - he estimated at least three years - and had finally got to the point where something was being done.
If there was plenty of publicity about cameras, it would have an impact on behaviour in the area, so the cameras should be able to be moved, Mr Dean said.
Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said the latest proposal had good support in the community and it was now a matter of how many cameras, where and when.
