A series of covert cameras, netting hundreds of dollars a year in fines, are catching more than just careless litterers.
Images recorded by the Brisbane City Council surveillance program capture a range of bizarre behaviours, like one person seen setting fire to a bag of rubbish in a Mount Coot-tha car park in September.
In a separate incident in October, a couple were fined, not for being observed to be “climbing on top of each other” in a car but for leaving a “small pile of paper litter” on the ground when they left.
9News obtained the images and related reports from Council, under Right to Information laws.
Already this year, 111 infringements have been issued to offenders caught littering less than 200L of rubbish, which attracts a fine of $322 for individuals or $1613 for corporations.
Up to 30 covert cameras in the program are being used across city hotspots, often camouflaged or tied to trees.
They are typically rotated through different locations every two to four weeks to “deter offenders and cover new ground”.
Councillor Sarah Hutton said the cameras were an important way to protect Brisbane’s environment and lifestyle.
“Our message is simple: if you’re thinking of dumping rubbish because nobody’s looking, you will get caught and face the consequences,” she said.
Michael Cope from the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties said he had concerns about covert surveillance becoming normalised.
“Surveillance was justified originally by fighting terrorism or fighting violent crime and we do not see that it is justified by catching people who are littering.”
