The Sunshine Coast Council has announced a major security overhaul in response to what it describes as a sharp increase in “aggressive and violent behaviour” directed at its employees.
The Queensland council said there had been 73 aggressive incidents towards staff between January and August in 2025 – almost matching the total recorded for the same period in 2024, and significantly higher than the 66 reported in 2023.
In addition to a rise in physical assaults, verbal abuse has also increased, with 20 incidents recorded so far this year compared to 12 in 2023. Even parks and gardens workers have been among those targeted.
As part of its response, the council will introduce a suite of new safety measures, including enhanced security at certain sites, expanded CCTV coverage, and body-worn cameras for staff.
It said the footage will only be collected and used as evidence “in serious cases”.
Sunshine Coast Council CEO John Baker said every worker deserves “to be able to do their jobs without fear or harm”, and warned the impact on employees had been “profound”.
“It is happening across the organisation, from customer service to parks and gardens, libraries, roads, waste, community facilities, contractors and even volunteers,” he said.
“These are not isolated incidents. They are serious, and they are unacceptable.”
In addition to new security measures, the council will expand its support services, including increased access to counselling, debriefing, and “de-escalation” training.
“We want everyone’s support in protecting the workers who care for our community,” Baker said.
“We are working to assist workers to better diffuse and cope with confrontational situations, which cause considerable anxiety and also force service disruptions that impact the community.”
Sunshine Coast Council is not alone in ramping up security, as councils across Australia grapple with escalating aggression toward their workers.
In 2024, Cumberland City Council in Sydney revealed it had been forced to deploy a customised Tesla to protect staff following a series of violent confrontations.
The vehicle is equipped with specialised cameras connected to licence plate monitoring software, allowing the council to issue electronic fines to offending drivers.
Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, a Cumberland City spokesperson told explained the decision to introduce the technology.
“In response to a number of sickening assaults on Council staff, Council implemented a trial of a vehicle with cameras on it that links to licence plate monitoring software, similar to what is used in major public and private carparks,” the spokesperson said.
“This data shows us that the implementation of this technology has reduced these incidents by just over 64 per cent. Council uses this vehicle in high-risk areas like our town centres and surrounding streets.”
It’s not just councils facing increased hostility.
Retail workers at major outlets including Woolworths, Bunnings and Coles have also adopted body-worn cameras to deter abuse and violence.
Senior lecturer in criminology and justice at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Emily Moir, said the rise in aggression toward government employees is a lingering effect of the pandemic.
“What we have seen nationally across Australia is a rise in anti-government beliefs,” Dr Moir told the ABC. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, government-implemented public health measures were introduced, including the lockdowns.
“Some people in the community saw these measures as really draconian … so local council workers would be seen as representatives of the government and therefore vulnerable to different types of harassment and abuse.”
The warnings coincide with National Safe Work Month, which is observed each October to promote workplace health and safety.
Images: Sunshine Coast Council
