Copper theft surges, disrupting infrastructure and costing millions in Australia
Consensus Summary
Copper theft has surged across Australia, causing widespread disruptions to infrastructure, public services, and communities in both Queensland and Victoria. In Queensland, authorities report 51 thefts in the southern region by May 2026, with councils facing millions in repair costs and risks to public safety, including deaths among thieves. The state introduced stricter penalties in 2026 to combat the crime, while solar street lights and theft-resistant infrastructure like aluminium cabling are being explored as solutions. Meanwhile, Victoria experienced a 175% increase in copper thefts from 2023 to 2025, with over 5,800 incidents reported in just three years, far exceeding previous totals. Homes, schools, train networks, and even secure sites like police stations and prisons have been targeted, leading to school closures, train cancellations, and millions in damages. Victoriaâs 2018 laws aimed at regulating scrap metal dealers proved ineffective, as gangs bypassed restrictions by using intermediaries. Both regions highlight the financial and operational strain on governments and communities, with calls for technological and legislative solutions to mitigate future risks.
â Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Copper theft is costing Queensland councils millions of dollars in repair bills, with authorities warning it disrupts essential infrastructure like lighting, communications, and community facilities.
- Queensland Police have reported about 51 copper theft incidents in the southern region (Ipswich and Toowoomba) in the six months to May 2026.
- Queensland introduced legislation in 2026 to strengthen penalties for metal theft, including new offences for possession of stolen metal and additional obligations on scrap metal dealers.
- Copper thefts in Victoria surged by 175% from 2023 to 2025, with 5,871 thefts reported in just three years (2023â2025), nearly matching the total from the previous seven years (2016â2022).
- In Victoria, 1,939 homes (including yards, garages, and sheds) were targeted for copper theft between 2023 and 2025, with domestic thefts doubling in that period.
- Victoriaâs City of Wyndham recorded over 700 copper theft incidents in the past three years (2023â2025), with homes under construction and occupied homes being primary targets.
- Copper theft has disrupted Melbourneâs train network, causing over 400 cancellations annually and contributing to a $10 million vandalism repair bill.
- Schools in Victoria have been targeted over 250 times in the past decade, with four Catholic schools affected in 2026 alone, leading to temporary closures and remote learning.
- Solar street lights are proposed as a solution to reduce copper theft vulnerability, as they minimize ground-level wiring exposure.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Matthew Vanderbyl stated copper theft is largely opportunistic and driven by individuals seeking quick cash, with a dedicated property crime unit addressing the issue.
- Queenslandâs Department of Transport and Main Roads is installing theft-resistant infrastructure, including aluminium cabling and secure cable pits, on the M1 and Ipswich Motorway.
- Lighting Council Australiaâs Malcolm Richards noted solar street lights are becoming more viable for councils due to falling costs and efficiency improvements, despite higher upfront installation costs.
- Cars on a major highway near Ipswich have been driving in the dark for months due to copper theft.
- Exposed electrical pits and damaged infrastructure were observed along a walking route beside a major highway in Ipswich, where fencing around locked electrical enclosures was cut open.
- Telecommunications infrastructure was disrupted near Townsville on the eve of Tropical Cyclone Koji in January 2026.
- Copper was stolen from a Wyndham police station, a court, a prison, youth justice centres, airfields, banks, churches, gaming venues, and a brothel in Victoria since 2016.
- Hundreds of thousands of dollars of signal wiring was stolen from the Melbourne-Adelaide train line, including an 8-kilometre length near Nhill and a 5-kilometre length near Dimboola.
- Hindmarsh Shire recorded no copper thefts on its train lines between 2016 and 2024 but was targeted a dozen times in 2025.
- Victoriaâs 2018 laws requiring scrap metal yards to keep detailed records of transactions have failed to curb the illegal trade, with gangs using registered agents to resell stolen copper.
- A bronze statue (80% copper) of education pioneer Nano Nagle was stolen from Avila College in Mount Waverley.
- Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School in Sunbury lost power for five days after thieves stole copper cabling, forcing students to learn remotely.
- Carlo Acutis Primary School in Wollert shut for a week in March 2026 due to copper theft repairs.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The ABC reports copper theft in Queensland is largely opportunistic, while The Age describes some thefts in Victoria as requiring professional skills, equipment, and planning.
- The ABC mentions Queenslandâs copper theft legislation was introduced in 2026, while The Age states Victoriaâs 2018 laws failed to curb the crime, implying differing timelines and effectiveness of legal responses.
Source Articles
Major highways left in the dark as copper theft surges in Queensland
The practice is costing Queensland ratepayers millions of dollars in repairs, and leading to widespread outages to lighting, communications and community sporting facilities.
Copper and robbers: The out-of-control crime shutting schools and rail lines
Copper thieves are hitting more than 50 sites a week across Victoria, leaving a trail of destruction everywhere from backyards and churches to police stations and brothels.