Is CCTV footage a body corporate record?

Whether CCTV footage is a body corporate record will depend on the circumstances in which the footage was taken, and the circumstances under which an application to view the footage has been made.

In Queensland, a ruling by the Commissioner’s Office in one particular case expressly stated that CCTV footage was not a body corporate record and did not need to be made available to an interested party on that basis. However, the adjudicator made it clear that a body corporate may still need to provide CCTV footage to comply with its obligation to act reasonably. Their ruling would not necessarily justify declining an application for footage in other schemes under different circumstances.

In all cases where an application has been made by an interested person to access a body corporate record, a body corporate must act reasonably.

If there is any uncertainty about the status of an application for access to CCTV footage, a body corporate should seek legal advice.

Further reading

• Who can access body corporate records?
• What documents must a body corporate maintain?
• Body Corporate Tips: Interested persons may view body corporate records
• Body Corporate Records 101
• 2 Reasons for a body corporate to deny access to records
• CCTV footage a grey zone for body corporate committees