STORAGE KING ST ALBANS CASE STUDY · TOTAL CONSTRUCTION · ST ALBANS VIC
Construction Site Security Cameras for Total Construction in St Albans
Monitored video alarms, solar and wireless CCTV and a 180-degree timelapse camera protecting a multistorey Storage King facility in Melbourne's west.
PROJECT SNAPSHOT
Total Construction Site Security Installation in St Albans
Thompson Bros is supplying a monitored video alarm, CCTV and timelapse system to Total Construction for a new multistorey Storage King self-storage facility in St Albans, Melbourne.
The site is in a high-risk crime area and a busy location next to a fast-food outlet. Tools and equipment were targeted repeatedly during the build, and the site was also vandalised.
The security solution was designed around an unusual site layout, multiple blind spots and a lack of power anywhere except the site office.
REGION
Melbourne’s west
SYSTEMS INSTALLED
- Monitored MotionViewer cameras
- 8-camera CCTV system
- 180-degree solar timelapse camera
- Point-to-point wireless links
Builder
Total Construction
Location
St Albans VIC
Project
Storage King St Albans
Project Type
Multistorey self-storage facility
7
Monitored MotionViewer cameras protecting the site since January 2026.
8
CCTV cameras feeding a recorder in the site office over wireless links.
15
Confirmed intrusions that led to police attending the site.
12
Further occasions where security guards responded.
A HIGH-RISK LOCATION REQUIRING LAYERED SITE SECURITY
Thompson Bros was engaged by Total Construction to protect the new Storage King facility in St Albans.
Total Construction had worked with Thompson Bros on previous Melbourne projects, and Thompson Bros’ reputation in Melbourne for excellent service and reliable systems continues to grow.
The site is in a high-risk crime area. Over time, tools and equipment were targeted and the site was vandalised, so Total needed more than a standalone camera.
SITE RISK PROFILE
Why Construction Site Security Was Critical in St Albans
Multistorey builds hold tools, plant, equipment and building materials onsite for months at a time.
In St Albans, those assets sat in a high-risk crime area on a busy site next to a fast-food outlet, and tools and equipment were targeted repeatedly.
The site needed verified detection, fast escalation and recorded footage covering the areas hidden by the structure itself.
Tools and Equipment
Tools and equipment were targeted by thieves repeatedly over the course of the build.
Vandalism
Unauthorised access created a risk of damage to completed work and site infrastructure.
After-Hours Intrusions
The system needed to detect and verify intruders quickly so guards or police could respond.
High-Risk Crime Area
The surrounding area carries a high crime risk, increasing the chance of repeat attempts.
Blind Spots
The structure under construction created multiple blind spots around the site.
High-Traffic Location
The site sits next to a fast-food outlet, bringing a steady flow of people and vehicles past the site.
SITE CHALLENGE
An Unusual Site Layout With Power Only at the Site Office
The St Albans site was not a simple rectangular block.
Its unusual layout, combined with a multistorey structure rising in the middle of it, created multiple blind spots around the site.
Power was available at the site office but nowhere else, so cameras away from the office needed to run on batteries or solar power.
CCTV footage from around the site also had to get back to the recorder in the site office, which required point-to-point wireless links.
Power Only at the Site Office
Permanent power was available at the site office but nowhere else on the site.
Unusual Site Layout
The shape and configuration of the site made camera placement more complex than a standard block.
Wireless CCTV Links
Point-to-point wireless links were needed to send camera feeds back to the recorder in the site office.
Multiple Blind Spots
The structure under construction blocked sightlines and created blind spots around the site.
High-Traffic Neighbour
An adjoining fast-food outlet brought a steady flow of people and vehicles past the site.
The system needed to cover a difficult layout and run mostly without mains power.
THE SOLUTION
Monitored Video Alarms, Solar CCTV and 180-Degree Timelapse
Thompson Bros designed and installed a layered system combining monitored video alarms, CCTV and timelapse, rolled out in stages as the build progressed.
The installation includes:
- Seven monitored MotionViewer video alarm cameras (from January 2026)
- One 180-degree solar-powered timelapse system (from January 2026)
- An eight-camera CCTV system (from March 2026)
- Point-to-point wireless links to a recorder (NVR) in the site office
- A mix of mains and solar power for the CCTV cameras
Seven Monitored MotionViewer Cameras
Seven battery-powered MotionViewer cameras were positioned around the site to detect and visually verify unauthorised after-hours access. Because they are self-powered, the cameras could be placed to cover blind spots well away from the site office.
- Verified intrusion detection
- Self-powered with batteries
- Covers blind spots
- Professionally monitored
Eight-Camera CCTV System
An eight-camera CCTV system was added in March 2026 to give continuous recorded coverage of the site and site shed compound. Cameras near the site office run on mains power, while those further away run on solar power. Point-to-point wireless links send the video feeds back to the recorder in the site office.
- Continuous recorded footage
- Mains and solar power
- Wireless point-to-point links
- Central recorder in site office
180-Degree Solar Timelapse Camera
A 180-degree timelapse system has documented the build since January 2026. It runs on solar power from a collapsible pole, which also carries a video alarm panel, a CCTV camera and a point-to-point wireless link.
- Solar-powered operation
- 180-degree field of view
- Collapsible pole mounting
- Shared pole with security devices
Guard and Police Escalation
Every alarm is checked by the monitoring station before it is escalated. Depending on the incident, confirmed intrusions are passed to police or a security guard is sent to the site.
- Video-verified alarms
- Police escalation
- Guard response
- Recorded footage of incidents
Staged Rollout
The video alarm and timelapse systems went in first in January 2026, with the CCTV system added in March 2026. This allowed the security setup to grow as the project progressed.
- Installed in stages
- Expanded as the build progressed
- Ongoing through construction
- One provider for every system
Verified Security Response
Monitored cameras confirm intrusions before guards or police are sent.
Solar Operation
Solar power runs the timelapse and CCTV cameras away from the site office.
Wireless Transmission
Point-to-point links carry CCTV footage back to the recorder in the site office.
Blind-Spot Coverage
Cameras were placed to cover areas hidden by the structure under construction.
Need a monitored security and CCTV system for a Melbourne construction site?
THE RESULT
15 Police Attendances and 12 Guard Responses Since January
The Thompson Bros systems have been onsite since January 2026 and remain in place as construction continues.
Since installation, 15 confirmed intrusions have led to police attending the site, and guards have responded on a further 12 occasions.
15
Confirmed intrusions leading to police attendance
On three occasions, guards located offenders onsite and followed them, although the offenders left before police arrived.
During one incident in April, offenders caused extensive damage before police reached the site. Without the monitored alarms, CCTV and the usually fast police response, the overall impact on the project would likely have been far greater.
Reducing the Impact of Crime
No security system can stop every incident in a high-risk area.
What an effective system does is detect intrusions as they happen, confirm them on video and get guards or police on the way, rather than leaving the builder to discover the damage the next morning.
For Total Construction, that has meant offenders interrupted onsite and a recorded account of each incident.
Intrusions Verified
Video evidence allowed every alarm to be confirmed before escalation.
Police Dispatched
Police attended the site following 15 confirmed intrusions.
Guards Responded
Security guards responded on a further 12 occasions, locating offenders onsite three times.
Offenders Disrupted
Verified alarms and fast responses meant offenders were interrupted onsite rather than left undisturbed.
HOW THE SYSTEMS WORK TOGETHER
Three Systems, One Provider
Each system on the St Albans site covers a different part of the security picture.
The video alarm system detects and verifies intrusions, the CCTV system records continuous footage around the site and site shed compound, and the timelapse camera documents the build from start to finish.
Detection
Seven MotionViewer cameras detect movement and send video clips to the monitoring station.
Verification
Monitoring staff review each alarm before guards or police are sent.
Recording
Eight CCTV cameras record the site and feed the recorder in the site office.
Documentation
The 180-degree timelapse camera captures the facility taking shape.
Build Progress on Camera
The 180-degree timelapse camera has captured the Storage King facility rising since early works in January 2026.
A PROVEN SECURITY PARTNER
Trusted Across Multiple Total Construction Projects
The St Albans project is part of an ongoing working relationship between Thompson Bros and Total Construction in Melbourne.
Thompson Bros has completed multiple projects for Total, including a large site in Brooklyn where it supplied a 23-camera MotionViewer video alarm system, an eight-camera CCTV system and two timelapse systems over two years.
That experience shows Thompson Bros can scale its systems to suit both large, long-running sites and complex sites in high-risk areas.
Rather than supplying one standalone product, Thompson Bros coordinates monitored video alarms, CCTV and timelapse through one experienced provider.
PROJECT PHOTOS
Storage King St Albans Security Installation
Photos from the St Albans project show the timelapse, CCTV and wireless equipment installed around the site.
SERVICE AREA
Construction Site Security Cameras in St Albans and Melbourne
Thompson Bros supplies construction site security cameras, monitored video alarms, CCTV, timelapse cameras and nurse call systems for Tier 1 and Tier 2 builders throughout St Albans, Melbourne’s west and Victoria.
Systems can be designed for commercial projects, multistorey buildings, high-risk locations and sites without permanent power.
Available solutions include solar operation, wireless transmission, professionally monitored video alarms and custom timelapse installations.
Local Coverage
Construction site security and monitoring systems are available throughout:
- St Albans
- Sunshine
- Deer Park
- Keilor
- Caroline Springs
- Footscray
- Brooklyn
- Melbourne's West
- Melbourne
READY TO SECURE YOUR SITE?
Protect Your Melbourne Construction Site Before the First Incident
Protect tools, equipment, construction materials and project timelines with an integrated security system designed for commercial construction sites.
Thompson Bros can combine monitored video alarms, CCTV, solar-powered timelapse and wireless transmission into one site-specific solution.