Peter A Clarke

Horsham Council has suffered an analogish data breach with cameras found in the change rooms of the Horsham Town Hall. The cameras were found on 1 April 2026. The Council brought in the Victoria Police. The analysis of the cameras resulted in two search warrants being executed resulting in mobile phones, computuers and storage devices being seized. It appears possible, if not likely, that the cameras were in place for 4 years.

Last Thursday the Council announced that a second inspection revealed no hidden cameras were found. Doing a sweep of rooms, including change rooms, would hardly rate is news normally.  But this privacy breach has been hugely embarrassing for Horsham, particularly as the cameras were found in change rooms in the Town Hall which was used to stage community functions and performances.  

As the Guardian Reports in The terrifying rise of secret cameras, the use of secret cameras is a growing problem but one that has a disturbing long history.  Spy cameras have been used in espionage as far back as 1885 and developed into more sophisticated devices during each of the World Wars and the Cold War. Miniaturisation and reduced cost of cameras put cameras that could be used secretly into the hands of individuals (or companies). Digital technology, with the ability to use and record remotely made the use of video cameras more widespread. 

While a member of the Board of the Australian Privacy Foundation and in my professional life, complaints of secret camera use were a fairly regular occurrence. 

Victoria criminalised this behaviour where, under the Surveillance Devices Act 1999, there is a prohibition of recording “private activities” where participants reasonably expect privacy, such as in homes or bathrooms. The penalties include 240 penalty units or up to 2 years imprisonment. Until the passage of the Statutory Tort of Interference with Privacy the civil options were limited and complicated.  In this case it is unlikely that there is a claim against Horsham Council for a breach of privacy.  That said, it is very odd that a camera(s), even of a minature type, could be installed and maintained for 4 years without detection.  What inspections did the Council do.  Clearly the facts are important in determining if fault lies but it does highlight that in this era of easy access of surveillance devices that organisations should have some sort of procedure to ensure there is no intrusion into privacy.  

The statement from the Council provides:

Council engaged a specialist counter-surveillance inspection firm to undertake a comprehensive sweep of the Horsham Town Hall yesterday (16/4) but found no surveillance devices or other evidence of security breaches.

This follows a similar inspection by Victoria Police on the 1st of April 2026, when they were first informed by Council of a potential security breach at the Town Hall.

Horsham Rural City Council Mayor Brian Klowss said while the results of the latest inspection were a “big relief”, Council and the community were still working through a very stressful and unsettling situation as the police investigation continues.

“Because of the police investigation, Council is restricted in what we can and cannot say about the matter,” Mayor Brian Klowss said.

“But that does not mean we’ll stop supporting or helping people through this difficult time, or take additional steps, such as yesterday’s inspection, to ensure Horsham Town Hall is completely safe.

“This latest inspection also confirms what Victoria Police said late yesterday that cameras were never found at the Horsham Town Hall during the initial police searches, and we can confirm they were not found in this latest inspection.

“A safe and secure Town Hall means we can now confidently look forward to resuming the scheduling of performances, events, and other activities at the venue. We plan to announce more details of these upcoming events early next week (w/c 20 April).

“This is a critical time for us as a community. Horsham Town Hall is a place where our community comes together, and it is vitally important that everyone feels safe and respected.

“While we have taken important steps towards restoring confidence, we recognise the considerable stress and uncertainty this situation has caused within our community. It is unhelpful, disrespectful, and inappropriate to speculate about who might have been involved or what happened, as this can add to the stress already being experienced. I am encouraged that I have not seen many examples of this behaviour and think that is a credit to our staff and community.

“During times like this, it‘s important that we support one another, and show care and respect to each other, as we all work through this situation together.

“Council takes matters of privacy and public confidence extremely seriously.

“We will continue to respond appropriately to any concerns – to clarify and correct where we find misinformation – and provide regular updates to our staff, key Town Hall stakeholders, and the community, as further information becomes available,” Mayor Klowss said.