Queanbeyan-Palerang residents curious about cameras that appeared across the region might be disappointed to hear they aren’t connected to a major conspiracy but rather traffic data collection.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The cameras caused somewhat of a stir on social media last week when they appeared for a number of days, leaving keen-eyed residents speculating their purpose.
The cameras appeared at 14 locations throughout the region including Nerriga Road in Braidwood, and some of Queanbeyan’s busiest roads in Crawford and Lowe Streets, Yass Road and more.
A spokesman for the NSW Roads and Maritime Services said the cameras were to assess traffic movement and queue lengths and confirmed they were not capturing vehicle speeds or mobile phone use.
“Traffic counters will be in place to collect data to inform future planning on the Kings Highway to keep motorists moving,” the spokesman said.
“Roads and Maritime Services will keep the community informed about any proposed improvements.”
The cameras were removed by lunchtime on Thursday.
Members of the Carwoola Community Facebook page were particularly curious about the cameras’ purposes and legality.
After a resident posed the question asking why the cameras had been put in place an extensive discussion took place to solve the mystery.
One resident was suspicious of the plain white utes seen during installation of the cameras at around midnight.
“Big Brother goes bush” one resident replied before a discussion about whether it could be park rangers trying to catch illegal dumpers.
Another resident thought they could be related to the Australian defence Force’s Headquarters Joint Operational Command near Bungendore, with many other commenters unimpressed with this potential surveillance.
One suggestion was for residents to remove the cameras themselves, but before any tampering was completed the Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council stepped in answering a resident’s question that it was indeed traffic monitoring.
It was reported earlier this month that NSW would be the first jurisdiction in the world to implement new camera technology to catch motorists using their mobile phones while driving.
However the specific technology and provider had not been chosen at the time of the announcement of the law change in NSW Parliament.
