Major highways left in the dark as copper theft surges in Queensland

Parts of this motorway went dark in 2026, believed to be due to copper thieves stripping away wiring from street lights. (ABC News: Charlie Mclean) Copper theft is costing Queensland councils millions, the Local Government Association has warned. Police say would-be thieves have died as a result of their actions. Lighting advocates say solar street lights could lead to a reduction in some thefts. Link copiedShareShare articleCouncils across Queensland are bearing the cost of millions of dollars in copper theft, with authorities warning the crime is also putting lives at risk and disrupting essential infrastructure across the state. Authorities say the crime is leading to mounting repair bills for governments, while also causing widespread outages to lighting, communications and community sporting facilities. Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Matthew Vanderbyl said the offending was largely opportunistic rather than highly organised, but the impact had been significant across parts of the state. He said in the southern region alone, which takes in Ipswich and Toowoomba, there had been about 51 copper theft incidents reported to police in the six months to May 2026. Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Matthew Vanderbyl says copper theft has been an ongoing issue for authorities. (ABC News: Tobi Loftus) He said the offending was largely driven by individuals seeking quick cash by selling stolen copper to scrap metal merchants. "It's very localised offending that we've become aware of," he said. "We have a dedicated property crime unit and it's something that is a specific interest area for them." Cars on this major highway near Ipswich have been driving in the dark for months. (ABC News: Charlie Mclean) The thefts have caused repeated disruption across south-east Queensland, including streetlight outages on major roads in Logan and Ipswich. In the last week, in an area with a history of copper theft, the ABC has observed exposed electrical pits and damaged infrastructure along a walking route beside a major highway in the Ipswich region, where fencing around locked electrical enclosures had been cut open. Further north, on the eve of Tropical Cyclone Koji in January, telecommunications infrastructure was also disrupted just north of Townsville. Local Government Association Queensland CEO Alison Smith says copper theft is costing councils millions of dollars. (ABC News: Mark Leonardi) Local Government Association of Queensland CEO Alison Smith said copper theft had been a persistent issue for councils across the entire state. "Every time one of these crimes is committed, it costs millions of dollars to communities," she said. "Nine times out of 10, it will come down to councils having to foot the bill. "It cripples communications networks. It sabotages sporting equipment, playgrounds." The Queensland government introduced legislation to parliament earlier this year aimed at strengthening penalties for metal theft, including new offences relating to possession of suspected stolen metal items. The reforms also place additional obligations on scrap metal dealers in an effort to make it harder for stolen copper to be resold. Queensland Police Minister Dan Purdie says the government has introduced new legislation to target copper theft. (ABC News: Lucas Hill) Police Minister Dan Purdie said the changes were designed to deter offending and strengthen enforcement. "It has been an issue for too long," he said. "Like all crime, copper theft does have an impact on our community." Ms Smith said the LGAQ welcomed the reforms. "Unless there are deterrents in place, we are going to see this behaviour repeated," she said. She said councils were increasingly exploring technological solutions to reduce risk and improve resilience in public infrastructure. "It's always going to be important to see how technology can provide solutions to this type of crime, how technology can improve infrastructure and the security of it to make it more resistant to this sort of behaviour," she said. Solar street lights are already in place in some gated communities in Brisbane. (ABC News: Tobi Loftus) Lighting Council Australia's Malcolm Richards said solar-powered street lighting could help reduce vulnerability to copper theft. "When copper is stolen out of the ground, it's not a quick process to replace," he said. "It is very expensive … so what we're finding is some good existing technologies including solar streetlights have become very viable in circumstances." Malcolm Richards leads Lighting Council Australia. (ABC News: Tobi Loftus) Mr RIchards said solar lighting systems were becoming more attractive for councils as costs fall and efficiency improves, particularly for streets, parks and shared pathways. He said private developments were using the technology and major projects were also underway in the United States to install solar streetlights to stave off copper theft. "All the wiring i

Major highways left in the dark as copper theft surges in Queensland

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