North Geelong truck wash closes early after copper thieves strike twice
Copper bandits have struck again in Geelong, this time targeting a council-owned asset for the second time in as many months – forcing its premature closure.
Copper thieves have forced the premature closure of Geelong’s only publicly accessible truck wash.
City of Greater Geelong chief executive Ali Wastie confirmed on Tuesday that a “significant” amount of above-ground piping that supplied water to the North Geelong truck wash was stolen over the weekend, rendering the facility unusable.
Located within the former Geelong saleyards precinct on Weddell Rd, the truck wash was to close next month ahead of the sale of the council-owned site.
“This is the second theft in recent months, suggesting that the site is being targeted,” Ms Wastie said.
“The truck wash was already scheduled for permanent closure next month, making it unreasonable to undertake costly repairs to keep the facility operational for such a short time.”
Council has reported the theft to police, a spokesman said.
Usage of the truck wash declined by 73 per cent in the past 12 months, and Ms Wastie said many of the remaining users travelled from outside Greater Geelong.
The facility had been running at an annual loss of almost $230,000, according to council.
Both the Victorian Farmers Federation and Livestock and Rural Transporters Association of Victoria raised concerns about the wash’s closure on biosecurity grounds.
“Our biosecurity safety net is only as strong as its weakest point and with the closure of washes in Pakenham and now Geelong, we’re left vulnerable,” VFF Livestock president Scott Young said last month.
“There’s arguably no bigger threat to Australian agriculture than a large-scale biosecurity outbreak.”
Council decided the site would be closed at its meeting in late-May and the sale of the land is expected to reap more than $7m.
The precinct plan outlines steps to create a walkable residential environment, including social and affordable housing, with public spaces, community facilities and a limited range of commercial uses.
There has been a string of copper thefts across the region.
In mid-July, a group of suspected youth offenders caused a major explosion and electrical fire on Cunningham Pier.
It’s believed a high voltage cable cut from underneath the vacant building at the end of the pier.
Many thefts are carried out at telecommunication pits under the cover of darkness.
The cost of copper is around $14/kg, with hundreds of metres of the product stripped and cashed in at yards for between $5-8/kg.
Sites in Hamlyn Heights and Bell Post Hill have been regular targets for offenders over the past 18 months, with a telecommunication pit near Kardinia International College repeatedly hit.
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Originally published as North Geelong truck wash closes early after copper thieves strike twice
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