General News
1 October, 2025
No CCTV, yet
THE Victorian Government said it is aware of calls for CCTV at Beaufort Railway Station, but as yet a rollout of the technology isn’t planned.
In April, a group of concerned residents met at the station calling for an upgrade including CCTV as well as a more fit for purpose waiting room, passenger information display boards and an accessible bathroom.
The waiting room has no doors on it and is a walkway from the street to the platform. It is unkempt and appears to have had little or no maintenance undertaken in recent times.
The station platform, while roofed has no protection from the wind from either direction and the toilets are kept locked and not available to commuters.
A petition containing hundreds of signatures was sent to the Federal Member for Wannon Dan Tehan, despite the station being a state issue.
Mr Tehan then passed on the petition to Ripon MP Martha Haylett to be tabled in the Victorian Parliament, however rules surrounding the wording of the petition did not comply with the parliament’s standards.
It is understood Beaufort is the only railway station that does not have CCTV between Melbourne and Ararat.
There has regularly been damage to the signal box and aspects of the platform have been vandalised.
The station is unmanned and the station is not fronted by housing on the opposite side, hence a real need for security to be in place.
The Advocate understands that there is CCTV in the new railway station carpark, but this does not cover the station itself.
The Government told the Advocate recently that upgrades at train stations are prioritised based on a number of factors including patronage demand and growth, transport incident data, safety and accessibility issues, as well as site complexities and constraints.
“The safety of passengers and staff is V/Line’s priority and they work closely with emergency services to manage instances of anti-social behaviour on the network.”
“Passengers are encouraged to notify staff at stations, or onboard services if they have any concerns while travelling, and in an emergency contact Triple Zero.”
“All reports of anti-social behaviour are taken seriously and if a V/Line staff member deems a person at a station, or onboard a service to be unruly, they will contact police to report the matter and seek assistance as required,” a government spokesperson said.
Member for Ripon Martha Haylett said she has raised the issues several times with the Minister for Transport.
“I have spoken directly to the Minister for Public Transport about this issue and will continue to advocate for the improvements needed at the station. Beaufort commuters deserve improved amenities, as well as improvements for Art Trax Gallery volunteers and visitors.”
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