City of Melbourne is delivering essential upgrades to our Safe City Camera Program (SCCP) as part of our broader commitment to improving safety and amenity in our city. The SCCP has played an important role in creating a safer environment in the city since it was first introduced nearly 30 years ago. We now have 328 CCTV cameras in 126 locations throughout the CBD and parts of Carlton, Docklands and Southbank, which are routinely used to assist Victoria Police in identifying criminal activity.

Our community has told us that cleaner streets that are free from rubbish and graffiti are a top priority. These are matters that our Local Laws Officers already address on a daily basis, but following a review of the existing Safe City Camera Policy and operating manual, we are now exploring ways we can use the program to better address these concerns.

The SCCP will undergo a phased program of improvements from 2025 onwards. This first phase is focused on delivering essential maintenance and upgrades to the network, as well as developing a public-facing Safe City Camera Policy that outlines the scope of the program.

On 7 October 2025, Council endorsed community consultation on an updated draft policy that is separate to the manual.

The new, draft policy proposes to:

• expand the remit of the Safe City Camera Policy so cameras can be used to investigate breaches of local laws and regulations. This includes, but is not limited to property damage and graffiti, dumped rubbish, and construction or roadworks being undertaken outside of permit arrangements;
• allow authorised Council officers to utilise Safe City Cameras footage to help them investigate and respond to breaches of local laws and regulation more efficiently; and
• outline the parameters for how City of Melbourne manages the sensitive, personal information collected by the cameras.

The new Safe City Camera Policy would also be publicly available on the City of Melbourne website.

There will be opportunities to hear from and ask questions of council officers during the consultation period on the new draft policy, what’s changing and Council’s local laws and regulations at community information sessions. More information will be available soon.