Copper theft in Ipswich is spiralling out of control as the Crisafulli LNP Government
refuses to act.
Long stretches of the Ipswich Motorway have had no lighting for months due to copper
theft, and now our local roads and suburbs are being affected too.
Streetlights are stripped and repairs are slow, leaving residents, motorists and
pedestrians forced to navigate dangerously dark streets.
Copper theft is more than an inconvenience; it’s a public safety crisis. Dark streets
increase the risk of accidents and crime, leaving families feeling unsafe. Every night the
problem persists, our community is at risk.
Townsville shows action is possible. Operation Whiskey Biome, a targeted police
initiative, has already resulted in over 30 charges for copper theft.
Ipswich deserves the same response.
David Crisafulli must urgently implement the full recommendations of the
parliamentary Inquiry into copper theft: stronger penalties, tighter regulation of scrap
metal dealers, and guaranteed repair timeframes.
The affordability crisis is contributing to the ‘black market’ sale of copper and is costing
Queenslander taxpayers millions of dollars a year.
Ipswich families deserve safe, well-lit streets and a government that prioritises their
safety.
Quotes attributed to Member for Bundamba, Lance McCallum MP:
“The copper theft surge is leaving Ipswich in the dark and it is way past time the
Crisafulli LNP Government acted.
“Copper theft in Ipswich is a growing public safety crisis. More and more families are
being forced to walk or drive darkened roads because this Crisafulli Government has
failed to act.
“The Premier decided to do something for his hometown of Townsville, so why is
Ipswich being left in the dark? Our city deserves the same urgency, the same resources
and the same commitment.
“David Crisafulli promised less talk, more action and yet there’s been no coordinated
action from this LNP Government. That’s why I’m calling for an urgent Ipswich Copper
Theft Taskforce.
“David Crisafulli needs to explain why Ipswich locals are being treated as second-class
citizens when it comes to community safety.”
Quotes attributed to Member for Ipswich, Jennifer Howard MP:
“The LNP are not taking copper theft seriously in Ipswich. They’re allowing criminals to
get away with theft while forcing residents to drive on unsafe roads after dark.”
“David Crisafulli can fix this by creating a copper theft taskforce in Ipswich and
implementing all the recommendations from the parliamentary inquiry into copper theft
which called for stronger penalties, tighter regulation of scrap metal dealers, and
guaranteed repair timeframes.”
Quotes attributed to Member for Ipswich West, Wendy Bourne MP:
“David Crisafulli’s failure to act against copper theft in Ipswich points more broadly to
the government’s neglect of our region.”
“We are Queensland’s fastest growing region, but we are consistently ignored by this
government. Our road infrastructure needs have been neglected, and now sections of
these roads don’t even have working lights because of their inaction on crime.”
“This Government’s response to our region’s urgent concerns is lacklustre. Pretty soft
for a party that claims to be tough on crime.”
Quotes attributed to Member for Jordan, Charis Mullen MP:
“Copper theft is not a victimless crime. When wiring is stripped from our highway
lighting, these criminals are deliberately compromising the safety of every motorist who
relies on those roads at night.”
“The ongoing outages along the Centenary Highway, particularly around Springfield, are
unacceptable, and motorists are fed up. We need strong, coordinated action to crack
down on these thieves and protect critical public infrastructure before someone is
seriously hurt.”
For media enquiries, please contact ipswich.west@parliament.qld.gov.au
