Victorian tradies left scrambling after major spike in power tool theft

Victorian tradies are bearing the brunt of a crime wave targeting power tools, leaving thousands of workers out of pocket and unable to work.

Victorian tradies say they are struggling to make ends meet amid a significant spike in brazen thieves targeting expensive power tools, leaving thousands of workers without vital equipment.

It comes as the latest Crime Statistics Agency data revealed tools were stolen every 90 minutes across the state, with Victoria experiencing a 17 per cent increase in both the number of incidents of tool thefts and the value of items stolen.

Caulfield South tradies had more than $356,000 worth of tools and power tools stolen from residential properties in the year to March 2025 — the highest number in the state.

It was a massive 1800 per cent increase compared to a decade ago for the Glen Eira locality.

There were 44 incidents of tool theft, valued at almost $312,000, in the southeast suburb, with a further 16 incidents of power tool theft.

South Melbourne workers experienced the second most valuable tool thefts — almost $210,000 worth of tools and power tools.

In December last year South Melbourne Plumbing Co. owner Nick Brydson had thousands of dollars worth of equipment stolen from his work van.

He said he attempted to ward off thieves by removing the signage from the vehicle “because I know they target tradie vans” but this did not deter the heartless crooks.

“They smashed the back window of the van and my neighbour who came out and saw them said there were four of them all over the van, passing tools around the back ... nowhere is safe,” he said.

Likewise Dan Holmes, of Holmes Heavy Maintenance, had “25 years worth of tools” taken from a van parked outside his Preston apartment on May.

The crooks dumped and graffitied the vehicle nearby but ran off with upwards of $10,000 worth of equipment.

Dan Holmes' van was stolen and dumped in Preston with heartless crooks fleeing with more than $10,000 worth of tools. Picture: Facebook

Mr Holmes said the incident severely impacted his business which serviced heavy machinery.

“I had spent about $3000 on some nice tools about two weeks earlier as well. They stripped the van completely, there was nothing left — a real kick in the guts,” he said.

“I lie in bed and think about everything that’s missing ... I haven’t even worked out how much it’s all worth but would easily be more than $10,000.”

An online fundraiser has been launched to help Mr Holmes get back to work.

Tradies in Melbourne’s western suburbs were among the hardest hit in the state, with Werribee workers losing more than $200,000 worth of equipment stolen.

Werribee also had the highest number of incidents of tool theft from all locations, equal with Melbourne, at 417.

Residential tool thefts were also highest in the western suburb at 238.

Outside of the top three, it was suburbs in Melbourne’s north and west that saw high values of tools stolen.

Reservoir had $186,600 worth of tools nicked by thieves, while Tarneit lost $165,500.

In regional Victoria, Shepparton had almost $96,000 of tools taken from residential properties while Mildura had more than $80,000.

According to the latest ABS data available, the suburb with the highest value of tools stolen — Caulfield South — had just 500 people working — and earning a median income of $47,540 — in the construction industry in FY22.

South Melbourne had 400 tradies — earning $66,538 — and Werribee had 3300, earning a median income of $45,383.

Across Victoria, 1.32 million people were employed in the construction industry, with the highest number living in Langwarrin where $36,000 worth of tools were stolen.