newy.com.au – A $100,000 grant bid for CCTV on Beaumont Street has been rejected, prompting renewed pressure on the NSW Government to fund the Hamilton safety project.
Ward 2 Liberal councillor Jenny Barrie raised the unsuccessful application at a media conference in Hamilton on Wednesday, accusing Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp and the state government of letting down residents and businesses concerned about violence, vandalism and harassment.
City of Newcastle approved a CCTV trial on 28 April, allowing cameras at defined locations along Beaumont Street for up to three years, on the condition the NSW Government contributes at least half the total cost.
Cr Barrie said council and the local Business Improvement Association had agreed to contribute to the initiative, but the unsuccessful bid for $100,000 in state funding left its future in doubt.
“Too much time has passed and residents have waited long enough for this to progress,” she said.
“How hard is it for a local member to secure the funds needed for a program he says he cares so much about?”
Mr Crakanthorp said he remained committed to securing the cameras and would pursue other funding options.
“I want to see CCTV on Beaumont Street delivered as soon as possible. This is not the end of the road,” he said.
“I will be meeting with various Ministers to investigate appropriate alternative funding streams to deliver CCTV for Beaumont Street.”
He identified the Hamilton Business Improvement Association as the applicant for the unsuccessful CCTV grant, distinguishing it from a separate council application concerning nearby Awaba Park.
“As the applicants of the grant, the Hamilton BIA will be provided a contact to seek feedback on why the grant was unsuccessful,” Mr Crakanthorp said.
“City of Newcastle applied for a Community Building Partnership grant to install safer-by-design upgrades to Awaba Park.”
At Wednesday’s conference, Cr Barrie said cameras could help police investigate incidents and improve safety for residents, visitors and hospitality workers travelling between venues and nearby car parks.
Newcastle business owner Luke Tilse argued CCTV should form part of a wider public safety response, including an increased police presence. He said concerns about anti-social behaviour extended beyond Hamilton to other commercial areas of the city.
A local mother described feeling unsafe walking in the area with her six-year-old son and said her home security footage had helped police. Another resident who spoke at the conference said she felt safe locally and did not support the CCTV campaign.
The latest funding setback follows years of debate about safety around Beaumont Street and Hamilton Station.
In December 2022, council unanimously resolved to seek increased police patrols and an investigation into additional state-funded CCTV around the station, Awaba Park and surrounding streets. It also called for expanded mental health and drug and alcohol outreach services.
Mr Crakanthorp convened community meetings in January and April 2025 involving residents, businesses, police and service providers. A Hamilton Community Safety Committee was formed in October that year, bringing residents and business operators together with councillors and police.
In December 2025, Police Minister Yasmin Catley joined Mr Crakanthorp, police and local representatives for a walk along Beaumont Street to hear safety concerns. The MP also launched a petition calling for council to install cameras.
Sally Callahan, whose 22-year-old son James was fatally stabbed on Beaumont Street in November 2024, publicly backed calls for monitored CCTV in December 2025.
The Hamilton Community Safety Audit was launched on 8 April this year, eight years after the previous audit. Jointly funded by council and the Hamilton Business Association, it recommended CCTV in public spaces among measures to improve safety.
Two days later, Mr Crakanthorp presented a petition carrying more than 1,000 signatures to council. Councillors endorsed the conditional trial later that month.
Minutes of the business association’s April meeting provide an indication of the system being considered. Council chief executive Jeremy Bath outlined a proposal for up to nine cameras, including two in James Street Plaza, with secure police access to footage and maintenance handled through a contractor.
The proposed local contribution would draw on accumulated Hamilton Special Business Rate reserves. Other camera locations were still to be determined when the proposal was outlined.
The unsuccessful grant leaves the project awaiting the required state funding contribution. Mr Crakanthorp said he would investigate alternative funding, while the Hamilton BIA would be given a contact to seek feedback on its application.
