Council will decide at a meeting on Wednesday 3 November on options to acquire (either purchase or hire) a mobile CCTV unit for the Port Phillip Police Service Area as a deterrent to hoon drivers. Council has already resolved to purchase a mobile CCTV trailer if successful with a state or federal grant application. Councillors will consider hiring a mobile CCTV unit for six months at a cost of $35,000 plus GST if this is not funded through a Victorian Government grant.

Concerned residents represented by the Port Melbourne Road Safety Group (PMRSG), presented several petitions and recommendations to Council on 3 February and 5 August to advocate for a solution to hoon driving this summer. Several solutions have been proposed including reduced speed limits, physical barriers to reduce access to Pier Road, review existing signs and introduce new signs and parking restrictions, use of noise camera technology and mobile CCTV units and application to the Department of Transport for six additional fixed cameras.

Residents affected by hoon drivers and riders returning to Port Phillip in October are demanding solutions to eliminate or at least diminish anti-social hooning activity that involves dangerous driving and riding and excessive noise.  

Hiring a mobile CCTV solution is expected to deter hoon driving following a successful trial by Council last summer. Council borrowed the City of Stonnington’s mobile CCTV trailer (pictured) which was found to be effective in assisting police to identify, locate, and respond to hooning. However, CoPP’s current public place CCTV policy may prevent any new public places CCTV systems being implemented without State or Federal Government funding.

Victorian Police are the lead agency for responding to hoon driving. Council works closely with Victoria Police in relation to public safety issues but does not have the statutory powers to respond to criminal and antisocial behaviour such as speeding and dangerous driving. For more information https://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/media/4jde3324/report-10-4-mobile-cctv-trailer.pdf