After a number of recent break-ins in the Blaxland CBD, the council wants to know when non-operational CCTV cameras in the area will be fixed.
Mayor Mark Greenhill brought an urgency motion to the October 27 Blue Mountains council meeting, after being approached by frustrated Blaxland business operators.
In 2015, the Blaxland Chamber of Commerce received a $150,000 grant for CCTV cameras in Blaxland CBD, by former MP Louise Markus under the Safer Streets Program.
The council will write to the Blaxland Chamber of Commerce president seeking an explanation, and will write to the Commonwealth agency administering the grant to ask for their intervention to rectify the problem and ascertain when they are expected to function.
"I can't understand why this is still an issue. I would like an explanation," Cr Greenhill said.
Ward 4 councillor Brendan Christie said his "heart went out to the businesses".
"Quite frankly, it's not good enough. I want businesses to know that we are behind them, we support them and want them to be able to go to work safely," he said.
Dan Nalder, the owner of Dan's Coffee Haus, said they were broken into 2.5 years ago, and there had been two more attempted break-ins since, the latest in September. One of the CCTV cameras directly facing his shop would have captured the break-ins had they been working. He contacted the Blaxland Chamber of Commerce but received an unsatisfactory response, so he's now just spent $1500 installing his own camera.
"I'm sick of the painful process. If the police had footage, those people would get caught," Mr Nalder said.
He knew of at least two other businesses who had been broken into recently, and said that business owners were frustrated.
Personal safety was also a concern, especially after a reported sexual assault in the area a couple of years ago that the non-functioning cameras had missed. "Even my partner Anna doesn't like leaving work too late, especially in winter when it's dark," Mr Nalder said.
Ward three councillor Mick Fell questioned why chambers of commerce - ran by volunteers - were being held responsible for public safety. "It's not terribly noble of the federal government to say issues of public safety are down to people that do it on a voluntary basis," he said.
Blaxland Chamber of Commerce president Jo Bromilow said: "The federal grant provided for the installation of the CCTV. The chamber has undertaken legal action against the installer and as such any further comments at this time are inappropriate."
