Episode Details

Copper Thefts in Victoria Surge: A Crisis Unabated

Copper thefts in Victoria have skyrocketed by 175%, with over 50 sites hit weekly, despite government laws aimed at curbing the issue. From 2023 to 2025, police logged nearly 6,000 cases, nearly matching the total from the previous seven years. Homes, police stations, courts, prisons, churches, schools, banks, and airfields have all been targeted. Melbournes western suburbs account for over a third of the past decades nearly 12,000 thefts.

The consequences are severe, including power blackouts, damaged rail lines, and school closures. Schools have faced bills of up to $200,000 for raids, while construction sites and occupied homes are equally affected. Despite the 2018 cashless scrap laws, gangs continue to bypass them using fake agents. Rail networks are stepping up patrols and cameras, but thefts persist, posing a threat to lives on tracks from Melbourne to Adelaide. Until scrap prices drop or enforcement tightens, Victorias copper crisis shows no signs of abating.

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