How Long is CCTV Footage Kept in Australia?
Australian CCTV footage retention varies based on property type, privacy laws, and storage capacity. This guide explains legal requirements and best practices for Perth homeowners and businesses.
Quick Answer
- Legal minimum: No federally mandated retention period for most properties
- Residential recommendation: 14-30 days typical
- Commercial recommendation: 30-90 days for liability protection
- Privacy law maximum: Must delete when no longer needed (typically under 90 days unless incident)
Australian Privacy Laws & CCTV
Privacy Act 1988 Requirements
Under Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), CCTV footage is "personal information" subject to:
- Purpose limitation: Only keep footage as long as needed for security purpose
- Deletion requirement: Must delete footage when no longer required
- Security safeguards: Protect footage from unauthorized access
- Access rights: Individuals can request footage of themselves
⚖️ Legal Guideline
Keeping CCTV footage indefinitely "just in case" violates privacy principles. Footage should be automatically deleted after reasonable retention period unless specific incident requires preservation.
Recommended Retention Periods
| Property Type | Recommended Retention | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Residential Homes | 14-30 days | Captures most incidents, balances privacy |
| Small Business/Retail | 30-60 days | Theft detection, employee disputes |
| Large Retail/Commercial | 60-90 days | Liability claims, inventory reconciliation |
| Hospitality (Bars/Clubs) | 90 days | Liquor license compliance, assault claims |
| Government/Critical Infrastructure | 90+ days | Security investigations, compliance |
Factors Affecting Retention Duration
1. Storage Capacity
Physical storage limits often determine retention:
- 1TB hard drive: Stores 7-14 days (4x 4K cameras, 24/7 recording)
- 2TB hard drive: Stores 14-30 days typical
- 4TB+ hard drive: Stores 30-90 days
- Cloud storage: Retention based on subscription (7-180 days options)
2. Recording Settings
- Continuous recording: Shortest retention (fills storage fastest)
- Motion-only recording: 2-3x longer retention (only records when movement detected)
- Scheduled recording: Business hours only = 4-5x longer retention
- Lower resolution: 1080p stores 2x longer than 4K
3. Industry Requirements
Certain Perth industries have specific retention needs:
- Liquor licensed venues: 90 days (WA liquor license compliance)
- Gaming venues: 90 days minimum (gaming regulations)
- Childcare centers: 30-90 days (duty of care documentation)
- Shopping centers: 60-90 days (slip/fall liability claims)
When to Keep Footage Longer
Preserve footage beyond normal retention period when:
- Crime occurred: Download and save incident footage separately until police/insurance complete investigation
- Workplace incident: Keep footage for WorkSafe investigation (minimum 12 months)
- Legal proceedings: Preserve footage during litigation (2-5 years potential)
- Insurance claim: Retain until claim resolved (6-18 months typical)
- Ongoing investigation: Police request specific footage preservation
Best Practice: Separate Incident Storage
When incidents occur, immediately download relevant footage to separate USB drive/cloud storage labeled with: date, time, location, description. This prevents footage deletion when storage overwrites.
Storage Calculation Guide
How Much Storage Do You Need?
Formula: Cameras × Bitrate × Recording Hours × Days = Storage Required
Example: 6-Camera System
- • 6x 4K cameras (8MP @ 4Mbps each)
- • 24/7 continuous recording
- • 30-day retention goal
- • Calculation: 6 cameras × 4Mbps × 24 hours × 30 days = 2.59TB
- • Recommendation: 4TB hard drive (allows overhead, future expansion)
Automatic Deletion & Overwriting
Most CCTV systems use "circular recording":
- How it works: When storage fills, system automatically deletes oldest footage first
- No manual deletion needed: System maintains rolling retention period automatically
- Protection settings: Lock important footage to prevent auto-deletion
- Storage alerts: System warns when storage reaches 80-90% capacity
Perth Business Obligations
Signage Requirements
WA businesses operating CCTV must display clear signage:
- Visible signs at all CCTV-monitored entrances
- State: "CCTV in operation" or similar
- Include contact details for privacy inquiries
- Failure = privacy law violations, fines up to $2.2 million
Access Requests
Individuals can request footage of themselves:
- Must respond within 30 days
- Can charge reasonable fee for retrieval ($50-200 typical)
- Must verify identity before providing footage
- Can refuse if footage includes other identifiable people (privacy)
Recommended Retention Settings
Perth Home CCTV Settings
- ✓ Retention: 21-30 days
- ✓ Recording mode: Motion detection + continuous overnight
- ✓ Storage: 2-4TB NVR hard drive
- ✓ Cloud backup: Optional 7-14 day cloud backup for critical cameras (front door)
- ✓ Auto-delete: Enabled (circular recording)
Perth Business CCTV Settings
- ✓ Retention: 60-90 days (depending on industry)
- ✓ Recording mode: Continuous 24/7 (liability protection)
- ✓ Storage: 4-8TB NVR (expandable)
- ✓ Redundant backup: Secondary NVR or cloud backup
- ✓ Access logs: Track who views/downloads footage
Get Compliant CCTV Systems in Perth
Great White Security configures CCTV systems with appropriate retention periods, privacy-compliant settings, and adequate storage for your Perth property's needs.