8/21/08

Aurukun under constant surveillance

THE Cape York town of Aurukun will become one of the most closely watched communities in Australia, monitored through security cameras 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from a room 600km away in Cairns.

Desperate to stop violence, break-ins and thefts, the Aurukun Shire Council has agreed to have the indigenous community of 800 placed under constant surveillance.

Thirty-four cameras - covering almost every corner of the community - are being installed at a one-off cost of $225,000.

The community will then pay $12,000 a month to have the cameras monitored from a control room in Cairns, as two security staff rove the community.

Until now, Aurukun has contracted a private security company to patrol the area at about $60,000 a month, a cost chief executive John Bensch said was not sustainable.

About half of the cameras have been installed, and will be turned on next week.

The cameras will be monitored by security firm GSS Asset Management in Cairns, which will inform police on the ground of serious incidents.

Images from the community will be fed to a secure bunker in Cairns via a secure internet connection, with cameras in the community designed to be tamper-proof.

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See Also:

Gubba minister to boost pig numbers in Aurukun


AURUKUN RIOTS CAUSED BY SECRET DEAL

In reguards to the recent riots today in Aurukun one important factor has failed to be mentioned in media reports. A recent deal has been made to open a massive bauxite mine in the community with the Chinese company Chalco. All this has caused immense community uproar as only one small family secretly signed for the deal in a community of over 1200. Riots. We'll it's simple to see the community opposition to whats really going on there.

Related:

http://www.nit.com.au/News/story.aspx?id=12327

http://www.nit.com.au/News/story.aspx?id=11367
http://www.nit.com.au/BreakingNews/story.aspx?id=10142

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