The city council has voted to commission a comprehensive report, due in June, that will evaluate a range of advanced video analytics technologies. These include facial identification, behavioral analysis, gait recognition, and object tracking. According to Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece, the system could identify suspects based on “offenders’ gait…or distinctive clothing items like a backpack.” The report is also expected to outline potential implementation strategies and required privacy safeguards.
Reece has publicly defended the proposal by citing the widespread use of similar technologies in private-sector settings. “More and more organisations are using this technology…pretty much any shopping centre in Australia,” he said. He added that high-profile venues in Melbourne, including the Melbourne Cricket Ground and AAMI Park, already employ facial scanning to bolster security.
If implemented, the upgraded system would represent a major shift in the role of municipal surveillance. While the city’s existing network was originally deployed for crime prevention, the proposed enhancements would allow it to address a broader set of “enforcement issues,” including urban cleanliness and public nuisance tracking. AI features could enable the identification of abandoned shopping trolleys, recognition of vehicles involved in illegal dumping, and flagging of behavior patterns that deviate from normal public conduct.
The proposal arrives amid heightened scrutiny of facial recognition technology in Australia. In 2022, retailer The Good Guys suspended its use of facial recognition in response to public backlash and an investigation by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). More recently, the OAIC issued updated guidance in late 2024 cautioning that public surveillance deployments must consider proportionality, transparency, and data protection obligations.
Privacy advocates have raised concerns that the Melbourne proposal lacks a clear regulatory framework. Australia does not currently have federal legislation specifically governing the use of facial recognition in public spaces, leaving local governments to make independent decisions about procurement, usage, and oversight. Civil liberties organizations have urged the city council to delay deployment until comprehensive policies addressing data retention, consent, and third-party access are in place.
The forthcoming report will play an important role in determining the final scope of the surveillance upgrade. It is expected to assess both the technical feasibility and legal risks of deploying biometric and AI-driven systems in public areas. If adopted in full, Melbourne’s initiative would become one of the most comprehensive municipal surveillance expansions in Australia to date, setting a precedent for other jurisdictions considering similar technology rollouts.
Sources: Information Age, Herald Sun
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May 13, 2025 – by Cass Kennedy
