Recently I've been updating the Speed Camera Locations site with more recent government data covering the 2017-2018 period. Previously the site covered 2014-2015 period. In addition previously the cameras were averaged when there were two or more cameras covering a section of road or intersection. Now if there's a camera covering say the left lanes and another covering the right lanes, the camera locations are separate. In addition for red light cameras instead of using the camera location, the location is being updated to be the stop line and the middle of the lanes covered.
I'd also recently noticed four upcoming (or pre-commissioned) camera locations. These are camera locations that may flash but tickets are not yet being issued. They will be in the near future. Two of the cameras were located on Rosanna Road and Darebin Street Heidelberg. One for northbound traffic and one for southbound traffic.
By pure chance I was driving along Rosanna Road, Heidelberg and saw the new cameras as well as videoing them using the dashcam. Not only were there two new cameras at the intersection of Rosanna Road and Darebin Street, but there were also two new cameras at Rosanna Road and Banyule Road, Heidelberg.
The new cameras have a modern design that I've not seen before. One person on the internet described them as spaceship looking. What I felt was odd was not only was there the usual arrangement of the camera and separate flash, but facing the car on the other side of the intersection was another pole and device. At first I thought could this be taking a front on picture. However checking the site for the group company site that provides the cameras (Sensys Gatso Australia) their demonstration video makes me think the additional camera is a radar which is used to locate the position of the car instead of the in-road induction loops. That means the road didn't need to be cut to lay loops into the road. In time I'll check to see if my hunch is right.
For those interested in more information, the
contracts for the work for the cameras was worth around $900,000. That's about $225,000 per camera. In addition there's an interesting
letter published on Facebook I found which I thought I'd share. You can see the letter by clicking on the pictures.
Videos of all four cameras can be viewed using the links provided in the detail page for each camera (click on the icon) on the
Speed Camera Locations site.
NOTE: What will catch people out is there also appears to be a speed limit change to 40km/h coming to Rosanna Road, Heidelberg between Banksia Street in the south to Brown Street in the north according to the VicRoads site.
The combination of the speed camera and the lower speed limit is one that in others location raises a lot of revenue and will probably do the same at Rosanna Road and Darebin Street, Heidelberg.
Probably a common mistake people make is thinking they are in the intersection if the front of the car is over the stop line. They aren't. There's an imaginary line which goes from the kerb of the road to the other side of the intersection. You need to be over that line to be in the intersection. That means fully over the stop line and the pedestrian lines. For those turning and waiting for pedestrians, there's even a greater chance of getting booked. If you check the northern approach to Darebin Street the stop line has a huge angle and probably two cars can be over the stop line, yet still not in the intersection. Combine that with slowing down to turn and there's going to be a lot of cars being booked. Perhaps the new technology may make it fairer to those who think they're in the intersection when they're over the stop line. Only time will tell.
Kelvin Eldridge
www.SpeedCameraLocations.com.au
Update: 13/11/2019
My earlier thought these cameras might be the new laser based, not requiring induction loops in the road was wrong. I checked the road and the road has induction loops placed before and after the stop line. The additional camera as you exist the intersection may be a camera and flash unit to take a picture of the driver. In time no doubt people will find out.
Update: 19/08/2020
Thanks to the feedback from Traders Secret Sauce there's confirmation fines are now being issued for this camera. The government's Cameras Save Live sites has not yet been updated to reflect this change.
The Cameras Now Enforcing sign is on an angle and nothing showed on the sign until you were very close. Be careful. It could be easy to miss, particularly if there's a lot of traffic/trucks.
Update: 14 Jan 2021
The following are more recent videos of Rosanna Road for those wishing to check the more recent speed signage changes.
Rosanna Road southbound
https://youtu.be/k4iPrQq2gMs?t=861
Rosanna Road northbound turning right from Jika Road
https://youtu.be/DMUGCuu-xME?t=447
Rosanna Road northbound turning right from Banksia Street
https://youtu.be/5NXtGbny_I4?t=491
