Plumber's warning over 'lucrative' new crime trend putting Aussie homeowners at risk
A 'lucrative venture for thieves', metal theft and in particular the stealing of copper, has increased in Australia recently.
An Aussie tradie is sounding the alarm over a new crime trend putting homeowners at risk and costing the economy tens of millions of dollars each year.
A "lucrative and attractive venture for thieves", metal theft, and in particular stealing copper, has increased in prevalence in recent years, according to police. Authorities have warned those responsible sell things like cables to scrap metal dealers who melt and reshape it, largely for use in electronics.
They say not only is the act costly and inconvenient to energy providers and new homeowners, it's also extremely unsafe, with tradies often left to pick up the pieces after criminals rob worksites.
Such was the case this week on the Gold Coast, with one fuming plumber taking to social media to share his frustration. "To all the [people] stealing water meters, it'd literally be easier to get a f***ing job," tradie Reece said online.
Tradie furious after arriving on site to 'nightmare'
"You would have got absolutely soaked stealing that — f**k me," he said in frustration. "Hope your $20 in scrap copper was worth it, because this is going to be a nightmare to fix, so, cheers for that." While water meters are usually made from brass and not copper, it's the latest example of thieves making away with valuable infrastructure in an ongoing, nationwide trend that appears to be worsening.
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According to the Australian Institute of Criminology, the federal government has estimated the annual cost of metal theft is valued at well over $100 million, with criminals frequently targeting worksites, new home builds, railway lines, electricity substations, sewerage works, hospitals and even schools.
In June, two alleged copper thieves dressed as tradies were caught on CCTV attempting to rob an Energex site in Queensland, with one man seen clambering onto a work truck trying to search for wire, before police intercepted and apprehended him.
Depending on the type and quality, copper can fetch as much as $10 per kg.
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But energy workers have warned trying to rip out copper cabling could come at a much higher price. Copper theft in Queensland in particular tripled since 2020, with hundreds of incidents reported last year, according to Energy Queensland.
Since 2023, some 500 attempted copper thefts were recorded across the state, with over 300 thefts reported this year to date, the authority said. It prompted Chris Graham, an Energex area manager, to speak out.
"We've had instances where copper thieves have taken up to 1,000 metres of cable in one night. That's a significant amount of damage to the network," Graham earlier said.
He issued a warning to all would-be thieves, revealing the true scale of the danger facing them — up to 11,000 vaults — while holding up a failed theft attempt showing where thieves had attempted to cut into the cable.
"They would've had a plasma ball, hotter than the surface of the sun, right in front of their face," he said.
Deployed to deliver electricity to homes and businesses, copper also is used as a grounding system to protect the public and utility workers. When copper is stolen, it compromises the electrical system and can cause injuries and death.
It's been estimated that 90 per cent of all copper theft takes place at night or on weekends.
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