Cairns drivers in stampede for anti-car theft device
Anti-car theft vouchers are flying out the door as vehicle owners move to avoid having their pride and joy added to the 573 vehicles already stolen this year. Cairns uptake rate revealed.
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Anti-car theft vouchers are flying out the door as vehicle owners move to avoid having their pride and joy added to the 573 vehicles already stolen this year.
In the two weeks since the start of the trial, more than 3200 Cairns residents have applied for engine immobiliser vouchers.
A total of 9,000 subsidy vouchers will be available to residents in Townsville, 8,000 in Cairns, and 900 vouchers in Mount Isa.
It’s expected the $500 voucher will cover the entire cost of some devices, meaning participants in the trial will be hit with no out-of-pocket expenses.
The immobilisers with the pin code lock and the “kill switch” are expected to be the most affordable.
“The steadily increasing numbers in applications for this subsidy voucher are fantastic,” Police Minister Mark Ryan said.
“This scheme will help residents to feel more secure and ensure there is no impact to their cost-of-living expenditures.”
The $10m theft prevention scheme announced in December last year coincided with a record-breaking car theft total of 1299 in 2022 that equated to an astonishing 66 per cent increase on the 782 vehicles stolen in 2021.
Barron River MP Craig Crawford said a total allocation of 9000 vouchers for Cairns motorists meant there was still plenty available.
“I strongly urge any resident who wants to install an engine immobiliser to go online and apply for the $500 subsidy,” he said.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Chris Stream said the anti-theft devices could make a real difference to the security of car owners and the safety of the broader public.
“This subsidy will help more residents to install these immobilisers on their vehicles, to stop them from falling victim to car thefts,” he said.
To register for the subsidy visit the Queensland Government sign up page.
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