For too long this has been an issue that has had strong support from local businesses and ratepayers but, seemingly, precious little support within the council chamber.

Councillors Ian North and Bobby Bourke were, for a long time, almost voices in the wilderness on this issue as they kept fighting to make CCTV a reality but kept coming up short at budget time.

Through all that time, the argument supporting a council-run CCTV network - and the argument councillors North and Bourke kept pushing - did not change.

It was clear to most that it would take a council-run CCTV network to ensure blanket coverage of the city centre and also provide a one-stop solution for officers who were investigating crime in the CBD.

But the argument against a council-funded rollout - outlined in a 2013 report to council - was the claim that such a program would be expensive and ineffective.

And as the years went by, more and more the reason became that the council network might no longer needed because so many private businesses were investing in their own networks.

At last, though, common sense has won.

First, council committed $250,000 of ratepayers' money to rolling out CCTV and, just this week, Calare MP Andrew Gee announced the federal government would be tipping in $400,000 on top of that.

From zero to $650,000 in just a few months has been an extraordinary turn-around and long-serving councillors Bourke and North, along with newcomer Alex Christian, must be greatly satisfied with the achievement.

For anyone still unconvinced about the need for CCTV, though, came the shocking story of an assault on a young supermarket attendant at Kelso on Thursday afternoon.

CCTV footage from that incident helped police make an arrest within minutes and will no doubt be a key element in their prosecution of the case.

The CCTV did not prevent the shocking attack, but it greatly reduced the police hours required to fully investigate the incident before making an arrest.

That's a tremendous saving to the community and is the strongest argument available for making the community - through council - finance the CCTV.