21 June 2013
Minister for Home Affairs Jason Clare today announced the successful recipients of the Taxi Security Scheme which will improve the safety of taxi drivers at ranks where there is a high incidence of crime.
32 councils will receive over $3.8 million to install safety measures such as closed‑circuit television (CCTV) cameras and street lighting and to put in place better environmental design to deter crime and anti‑social behaviour around their taxi ranks.
The scheme is an expansion of the successful Safer Suburbs program that has funded 65 projects worth more than $20 million since 2007 to improve community safety.
The Safer Suburbs program allows councils to identify their priority projects to improve safety. This means that voices from the local community are heard. The Taxi Security Scheme will allocate funding in the same way.
“Cabbies have been vulnerable to attack from people picked up at badly lit ranks without CCTV or other measures to ward off these elements,” Mr Clare said.
“Better lighting and CCTV cameras will make it safer for both drivers and passengers,”
“To counter this problem, the Federal Government is providing this funding for councils to undertake projects during the next two years to improve the security around at‑risk ranks’ Mr Clare said.
Media contact: Minister Clare’s office – 02 6277 7290
Safer Suburbs Program Taxi Security Scheme Successful Applicants June 2013
|
Applicant Council |
State |
Project Description |
Grant Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alice Springs Town Council |
NT |
The council will purchase two relocatable independently powered security systems to provide fixed camera surveillance at taxi ranks not protected by the existing CCTV system. The project will focus on four designated ranks in the CBD and four in the suburbs. |
$63,498 |
| Boulia Shire Council |
QLD |
The council runs a bus taxi service, particularly to and from the racecourse. The project will enable installation of a ready-made shelter, a safety fence at the ‘rank’ to keep passengers off the roadway and another CCTV camera for better coverage. |
$25,114 |
| Brisbane City Council |
QLD |
The project will install two high-definition CCTV cameras facing a secure taxi rank in Elizabeth Street (between Edward and Creek streets) in the CBD. The cameras will be positioned at the ends of the block and linked to Council’s 24-hour monitored City Safe System. |
$73,578 |
| Burwood Council |
NSW |
The council will redevelop the Deane Street and Everton Road taxi zones into taxi ranks with upgraded lighting, signage, mobile CCTV and covered seating, after it carries out community consultation and crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) audits. The project will also establish a new taxi rank on Victoria Street East. A taxi driver training program on risk assessment and mitigation and customer relations and a community awareness campaign on the Burwood Safer Taxi Program and standards of behaviour are also components of the project. |
$200,000 |
| Byron Shire Council – Byron Bay |
NSW |
The project includes installation of digital CCTV, with three cameras and a network video recorder workstation with potential for a wireless internet link to the Byron Bay Taxi Office to enable remote viewing and control at the Byron Bay taxi rank, and an upgrade of existing lighting and installation of additional street and laneway lighting in the areas around the taxi rank. |
$60,000 |
| City of Fremantle | WA | The secure taxi rank will be moved to the western end of Henderson Street Mall, so taxi drivers will not need to do U-turns to exit the area which has problems with anti-social behaviour. |
$115,423 |
| City of Holdfast Bay – Glenelg |
SA |
The current provisional/interim managed taxi rank in Colley Terrace will be redeveloped with permanent infrastructure to increase the safety and security of users and drivers alike. |
$165,000 |
| Greater Shepparton City Council – Shepparton and Maroopna |
VIC |
The project includes installation of two CCTV cameras and upgraded lighting at the North Street taxi rank, Shepparton, upgraded lighting at the McLennan Street taxi rank, Mooroopna, and a pole with two CCTV cameras at the Wyndham Street taxi rank, Shepparton. The cameras will be integrated into the Safer City Camera Network for monitoring by Shepparton Police Station. |
$141,190 |
| Hobart City Council |
TAS |
CCTV cameras will be installed at high-risk taxi ranks in Hobart’s CBD and linked to Tasmania Police. |
$63,737 |
| Katherine Town Council |
NT |
The project will enhance lighting and install two security cameras at the taxi stand on Warburton Street. This initiative will tie in with a police CCTV system to be installed in the CBD area in the future. The police will monitor the cameras as part of their larger system and will therefore be able to respond to problems quickly and identify people committing anti-social and criminal activities. |
$67,516 |
| Liverpool City Council |
NSW |
The project includes installation of CCTV at late‑night taxi ranks in Macquarie Street and at the Liverpool Railway Station, the trial of Nightkey Identification Units at licensed venues, upgrading of street lighting and provision of temporary security staff. A media campaign and community education activity will also be undertaken to raise community awareness about the secure late-night taxi rank. |
$200,000 |
| Maitland City Council |
NSW |
Street lighting at taxi ranks will be upgraded with two to four new lights involving lighting designs, certification and construction. |
$200,000 |
| Manly Council |
NSW |
At the North Steyne taxi rank, improvements will include a pole‑mounted CCTV camera, a removable shelter or umbrellas to help protect patrons in windy or wet weather, removable stainless steel bollards to act as safety barriers and assist with orderly queuing, and LED lighting. At the Belgrave Street rank, clear plastic restaurant-style blinds will be installed for use in inclement weather. A plinth displaying signage with lighting would be installed at each rank. |
$59,420 |
| Manningham City Council – Doncaster East |
VIC |
The project will relocate the existing taxi rank within the Tunstall Square shopping centre. Work will involve demolition and earthworks, new asphalt and kerbing, a replacement footpath and omnicrete coloured road surfacing. |
$150,000 |
| Mount Isa City Council |
QLD |
CCTV cameras and better lighting will be installed throughout the Mount Isa CBD to deter and identify criminal activity around taxi ranks. |
$160,311 |
| Orange City Council |
NSW |
Additional data capture surveillance cameras will be installed close to taxi ranks in the Orange CBD to deter potential nuisance and vandalism and assist in detection of anti-social and criminal behaviour. These cameras will be added to the existing CCTV network. |
$140,089 |
| Parkes Shire Council |
NSW |
Sixteen cameras will be installed at the Parkes taxi rank and pick-up areas. |
$71,868 |
| Port Stephens Council – Raymond Terrace |
NSW |
The taxi rank will be relocated closer to the main pedestrian thoroughfare and main entrances to the shopping precinct. |
$100,000 |
| Queanbeyan City Council |
NSW |
This project will provide street lighting and install CCTV cameras linked to the Queanbeyan Police Station with the ability to view the Crawford Street taxi rank in Queanbeyan. It will also provide shelter and seating for patrons waiting for taxis. |
$200,000 |
| Strathfield Municipal Council – Homebush West |
NSW |
The project is for improved lighting of the rank and the transit corridor to the rank. By making the rank more visible and attracting commuters to it via a much safer pedestrian corridor, drivers will feel more inclined to use the rank and will feel more secure and safe in this area. . |
$95,000 |
| Sunshine Coast Regional Council – Maroochydore |
QLD |
The council will undertake significant upgrades to the Ocean Street taxi rank include installing lighting, safety railing, CCTV, rubbish bins, seating and awnings. |
$56,846 |
| Sunshine Coast Regional Council – Nambour |
QLD |
The project comprises installation of a CCTV system around the taxi rank in the CBD. |
$90,000 |
| Sutherland Shire Council – Gymea |
NSW |
The council will undertake infrastructure upgrades and crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) strategies to improve the safety of the North Street taxi rank for both drivers and pedestrians. |
$200,000 |
| Tamworth Regional Council |
NSW |
Kerbside safety railings will be installed at an existing rank and at two additional secure ranks seating, lighting, CCTV and safety railings will be added. Another day-time rank will also be upgraded with CCTV as part of the CBD CCTV network. |
$55,085 |
| Wagga Wagga City Council |
NSW |
The council will install CCTV cameras at three CBD taxi ranks where alcohol-fuelled crime is evident. |
$90,000 |
