Photo of a public toilet at Cronulla’s Shelly Beach has infuriated Australian women

A decision to set up surf cameras outside a change room has sparked fears it may provide full view into the women’s toilet and showers.

The cameras were placed on top of a block of change rooms at Cronulla’s Oak Park, in South Sydney, to monitor surf conditions at Shelly Beach.

One local women posted an image of the cameras to Facebook, saying she ‘couldn’t have possibly believed it’ if she hadn’t seen it herself.

She claimed to have walked ‘back out and in (from the change rooms), three times’ to make sure she she was actually seeing the security cameras.

The woman claimed to have received ‘no joy from contacting Sutherland Shire Council’ about moving or changing the cameras so they could not provide any chance of peeking into the change rooms.

‘The issue we have here is simply that this huge camera has been installed on the top of the wall of the women’s bathrooms, showers and change rooms,’ the woman wrote.

‘If I can see that whole black camera with my eyes, while I’m standing in here, then it can see me.

‘This is a space where women shower, walk around naked, get changed, and also shower their little children, and in summer it’s full.

‘All we want here is to feel safe. And I’m sorry, but this is not it.’ 

The post drummed up local support for changing the position of the camera, with many stunned by photos.

‘I would laugh if it wasn’t real, unbelievable,’ one wrote

‘Stupidity at its best,’ a second wrote.

One local women posted an image of the cameras to Facebook, saying she ‘couldn’t have possibly believed it’ if she hadn’t seen it herself (pictured) 

The Sutherland Shire’s Mayor, Carmelo Pesce said the cameras were ‘blacked out at the end where the change rooms are’, however will change its position to make sure women feel safe

Taking to Facebook to respond to the locals’ concerns, Sutherland Shire Mayor Carmelo Pesce said the cameras were unable to look into the change rooms.

‘The camera is blacked out at the end where the change rooms are,’ Mr Pesco wrote.

He also confirmed the council would be changing the position of the cameras in order to ‘stop the perception’ that the privacy of women and children could be breached. 

‘In response to concerns raised by some local residents, Council plans to install additional screening behind the camera, and/or adjust its position,’ a spokesperson for the Sutherland Shire Council told Yahoo.

‘(The extra screening will) provide further reassurance to those who use this amenities block, and to combat any further misapprehension about the use of surveillance in this location.’