Put a stop to copper theft

Property Council members in the industrial sector have recently highlighted growing concerns about the rise in copper theft over the past 12 months. Members are reporting significant losses worth hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time, as crooks go to extraordinary lengths to get their hands on any electrical wiring they can find.

Stories have included thieves setting up camp for days at a time, particularly at vacant industrial properties, before using sophisticated equipment and dangerous techniques to strip those properties of any copper they may use. As a consequence, members are anticipating industry wide bill shock with impending insurance renewals expected to blow out due to significant insurance claims being made to restore properties to a safe and workable condition. The scale of damage and destruction experienced by some members extends beyond electrical assets and materials on site.

Property Council WA is interested in pursuing this issue further with key agencies including WA Police, government stakeholders and state politicians. To do so, we’re looking for any stories or incidents of copper theft your property has experienced. Any information including examples and evidence of copper theft from any asset class is helpful. If this issue impacts you or you have any experience with this issue, contact our advocacy team to see how you can help build our case to key decision makers.