Alpine Shire Council adopted its new Surveillance Technology Policy, which consolidates existing policies into one clear framework to ensure council manages surveillance activities in a coordinated, transparent and legally compliant manner.

This public policy is necessary to ensure council's use of surveillance technologies aligns with current legislation, protects the privacy of people living in or visiting Alpine Shire and is applied consistently by all staff across the organisation.

The policy will see the implementation of the following: explicit definitions for when an activity is considered surveillance; strong safeguards for community privacy and data protection; a new internal Surveillance Oversight Committee to oversee all surveillance activities; a central register of approved surveillance devices; and clear pathways for community enquiries or complaints.

The policy does not allow for the use of artificial intelligence or facial recognition technology.

The policy can be viewed on council's website by visiting: https://www.alpineshire.vic.gov.au/privacy.