Black market scrap metal industry grows to nearly $500m per year

Copper theft is costing Queenslanders millions, with some builders being broken into up to eight times before the homeowner moves in.

Builders and tradesworkers are becoming increasingly vigilant about the real chance of theft on work sites, as theives target building sites for copper. New houses under construction in a new estate at Freshwater. Picture: Brendan Radke

Copper theft is costing Queenslanders millions, with some builders being broken into up to eight times before the homeowner moves in.

It comes as Ergon Energy said there had been 500 thefts across the state this year alone — a dozen of those were in Far North Queensland.

In 2022-2023 there was a 325 per cent increase of copper thefts, compared to 2017-2018.

More than 130 thefts were in Far North Queensland.

Master Builders Queensland regional manager Sharron Vella said site break-ins and copper theft had increased dramatically.

Builders and tradesworkers are becoming increasingly vigilant about the real chance of theft on work sites, as theives target building sites for copper. New houses under construction in a new estate at Freshwater. Picture: Brendan Radke

“There is one builder who currently has a commercial construction job on one of the main roads here in Cairns and he gets broken into every couple of days,” he said.

“There’s been other commercial companies that had eight break-ins during their build period, which is probably only about eight months, and on three of those occasions copper was stolen.”

Ergon Energy spokeswoman Emma Oliveri said the recent surge was proving costly and dangerous.

“Last year we had someone take an axe to live wires carrying 1000 volts,” Ms Oliveri said.

Builders and tradesworkers are becoming increasingly vigilant about the real chance of theft on work sites, as theives target building sites for copper. New houses under construction in a new estate at Freshwater. Picture: Brendan Radke

“Stealing copper from the electricity network is extremely high risk for very little reward.

“Interfering with the live electricity network could lead to significant burns, disfiguring injuries or death.”

For construction industries the delays thefts cause are immense, Ms Vella says.

“There’s been other commercial companies that had eight break-ins during their build period, which is probably only about eight months, and on three of those occasions copper was stolen,” Ms Vella said.

“So if you can think about, what it resulted in is delays because the electrician has to come back and replace the circuits.

“So it delays your project by weeks at a minimum.”

Builders and tradesworkers are becoming increasingly vigilant about the real chance of theft on work sites, as theives target building sites for copper. New houses under construction in a new estate at Freshwater. Picture: Brendan Radke

A Queensland parliamentary inquiry in 2023 recommended banning cash payments, mandating photo identification and introducing clear reporting categories and guidelines.

These amendments would mirror conditions in NSW but are yet to be implemented.

“There has to be some better governing in the recycling process to be able to collect the data of the people who are repeat offenders of recycling copper that’s not theirs,” Ms Vella said.

“There’s some of the sites you do have to produce a driver’s licence, but not all of them.

“If there was just better, checks and balances and that data could be relied upon, and the police had access to it as well, then perhaps we could catch these people and stop the process.”

Originally published as Black market scrap metal industry grows to nearly $500m per year