BIG Brother is watching Surfers Paradise like never before with Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) multiplying at a fearsome rate.

About 49 cameras are trained on pedestrians in the area, with an extra three deployed for special events, and there are plans for more.

Police love them, the council operates them and businesses and the public need their protection -- that's the message from Surfers Paradise divisional councillor Susie Douglas.

"We are reviewing CCTV at the moment," she said.

"We are just talking about moving the camera room down to the transit centre because there would be more room.

"There is also talk of trialling a camera that has the ability to have a voiceover to say to people they are being watched if they are doing the wrong thing.

"It will probably be trialled next year and it will be interesting to see the effect.

"Businesses all want them in front of their premises and the police and the liquor licensing people are always lobbying for more."

The primary role of CCTV is to detect incidents or criminal activity and then to initiate intervention by police or security guards. Stored video can also be used for evidence to assist in police investigations.

The first CCTV camera was installed on January 1, 1998, at Surfers Paradise. There are now 102 cameras in the Gold Coast's four major entertainment precincts of Coolangatta, Broadbeach, Southport and Surfers Paradise.

According to the Gold Coast City Council, the operating and capital expenditure budget for the cameras is $1.2 million, which has been paid for primarily by a special rates levy on tourist properties and commercial businesses.

The addition of further cameras is being considered in other areas but will be mainly focused on those suburbs with high concentrations of licensed premises.

Camera footage is normally kept for 30 days and then erased unless requested by police. Footage is also routinely analysed by the council to assist with ongoing improvements to public safety in the area.

Gold Coast Police Superintendent Jim Keogh said the cameras were vital for cleaning up Surfers Paradise.

"They are invaluable for law enforcement, particularly in central business districts," he said.

"They are not unique to Surfers Paradise, nor to Australia, for that matter. I've been lucky enough to visit Scotland Yard and see how they are used in London.

"Here we are concerned with growth areas, in particular, where new buildings are going up because sometimes that creates blind spots."

However, he said people should not see CCTV as a replacement for police resources.

"CCTV has great worth but it is still limited if there is not an immediate police response," said Supt Keogh.

"Police must have the resources to respond because early interventions are important. Serious assaults usually start with an argument, then there is a push, a shove, a punch and then someone maybe falls down and fractures their skull.

"Early intervention stops this from happening."

Supt Keogh believes the early intervention strategies by police using CCTV has resulted in a massive decrease in major assaults in the Surfers Paradise precinct, especially during big events such as Indy and Schoolies.

"CCTV is a state-of-the-art, contemporary tool," said Supt Keogh.

Gold Coast Indy organisers hired their own hi-tech CCTV tower to patrol pit lane this year to protect millions of dollars worth of racing machinery.

Meanwhile, Murwillumbah is set to mirror its Gold Coast cousins and will have its own CCTV after the local council recently voted to use Federal Government funding to secure the project.