A tax snap

By Tania Martin
MOUNT EVELYN traders could soon be slugged with an extra bill in a bid to keep the town’s eye on crime.
The shopping strip cameras are at risk of being ‘sold off’ if more traders don’t pitch in to help maintain them.
This comes just six months after police relaunched the $110,000 Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) camera system in December last year.
The 15-stong camera arsenal is the town’s latest tool to combat rising crime. But this could all now be at risk.
For the past six months the town’s township improvement group has been calling for traders to step in to fill the void to pay for the cameras’ maintenance and insurance.
At a recent meeting the Mount Evelyn Township Improvement Committee (METIC) agreed to pay the cost of the insurance but said this was the last time.
METIC and the town’s traders group has also called for a new levy to applied to all traders to cover the costs.
Mount Evelyn Central Business and Landlords Incorporated president Steve Deakins said the cameras had been welcomed by traders and had already proved an effective tool against crime.
He said the group was keen to continue to support them in the future.
“All electronic equipment requires regular maintenance to keep it working efficiently and these cameras and their controls are no exception,” Mr Deakins said.
However, Mr Deakins said responsibility for the maintenance shouldn’t fall solely on those in the traders group but should be distributed evenly between all businesses trading in the town’s central shopping strip.
He said the fairest solution would be to use a system available through council where a special rate is struck and added to normal rates for each business.
“We strongly support this method as an effective way of raising the necessary yearly funds without imposing hardship on any individual or group,” Mr Deakins said.
METIC secretary Jan Simmons said the traders had campaigned for years for the cameras to reduce vandalism and crime in the town.
But Ms Simmons said this was all being put in jeopardy by the lack of trader support for the system. She said all it would take to maintain the cameras was $50 from each trader a year.
METIC has shelled out more than $1100 for the insurance of the cameras, but says this was only a short-term solution. Yarra Ranges councillor Tim Heenan said his ward fund had also helped to pay for the maintenance but this couldn’t continue indefinitely.
He agreed something needed to be done to pay for the cameras’ upkeep.
Mount Evelyn Police officer Leading Senior Constable Lisa Brooks last week sent out letters to traders calling for a $50 yearly contribution to the cameras upkeep and $200 from new traders, which was what everyone paid for the initial start-up costs.