Short answer: Body corporate CCTV in Brisbane sits at the intersection of three legal frameworks — the Body Corporate and Community Management Act (Qld), the Privacy Act, and the residual common law on covert recording. Most installs that go wrong fail one of three things: signage (mandatory and specific), scope (cameras can only cover common property unless owners give written consent), and footage access (every owner has a statutory right to see their own data). Mr Secured installs body corporate CCTV across Brisbane and the systems we ship are designed to comply with all three from day one.
The legal framework in plain English
Three rule sets apply simultaneously to any body corporate CCTV in Qld:
1. Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 (Qld) + the Standard / Accommodation Module. The body corporate must pass a special-resolution motion to install CCTV on common property. Bylaws governing the system (purpose, retention period, access procedure, responsible committee member) typically need to accompany the motion. Records of who has access and when must be auditable.
2. Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). CCTV that captures “personal information” — and identifiable images are personal information — falls under the Australian Privacy Principles for any complex of 20+ lots. Below 20 lots, the body corporate is generally exempt as a small operator, but residents themselves still have access rights.
3. Common law on covert recording. Hidden cameras in common areas are extremely high-risk. Even where Privacy Act exempt, a covert camera that captures a resident in a private moment can attract a tort of intrusion. The fix is simple: signage, signage, signage.
What can be filmed, what can’t
- OK: Common property — lobby, lift, car park, stairwells, pool, gym, mail room, external boundary, common rooftop access points
- OK with conditions: Lift interiors (must have signage on the lift door AND inside), pool decks (signage, no audio recording)
- NOT OK: Inside individual lots, balconies of individual lots, change rooms, toilets, sauna interiors, private mailbox compartments
- Grey area: Cameras that incidentally capture a balcony — depends on framing and angle; we typically use privacy masking on Dahua to permanently black out balcony zones
Mandatory signage
Qld doesn’t have a single bullet-proof signage standard, but the practical minimum is:
- One sign at every entrance to a CCTV-monitored area, visible before entry
- Sign text including: “This area is under CCTV surveillance” + body corporate name + the responsible committee member contact + the phrase “footage retained for [N] days” + a footage access statement
- Black-and-white symbol of a camera at the top of the sign
Get a body corporate CCTV quote: mrsecured.com.au/contact or call 0490 130 339. See the full commercial CCTV setup.
