High copper prices leads to thieves ripping wiring from tractors ...

Thieves in regional Queensland are stealing copper wiring from farm equipment as part of a rise in rural crime which the agriculture lobby says appears to be the work of organised groups, not just individuals.

Farmers in the Western Downs region have reported a rise in thefts, particularly of copper. They’re working with police and local government to try to catch the perpetrators.

“We suspect there are a few groups that are responsible for it rather than it being lots of different people,” the Agforce CEO, Michael Guerin, told Guardian Australia.

“They’re quite organised. They’re quite knowledgable. They know where to find the battery. They know where to find the walls.”

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Guerin said that while stealing from farms was not uncommon, the most recent wave of thefts – which he said involved people ripping copper out of tractors and other farm equipment while leaving the rest of the vehicles untouched – was unusual.

He said it was likely that high copper prices had made the trade more profitable in recent times.

Last year, Goldman Sachs predicted a large deficit in copper availability would cause a massive global price hike. This was due to a surge in demand as the rate of the transition to renewables accelerated, as well as supply issues caused by political unrest in Peru and lower productivity in Chile, where much of the world’s copper is produced.

Copper futures are now trading at about A$13per kg. Copper traders can sell the metal to scrap yards for between $5 and $8 per kilo, according to Crimestoppers Victoria, whichhas also been dealing with the issue.

“It’s particularly concerning as when wires and batteries and things required to do the work are taken, you lose your ability to do farm work until you replace it,” said Guerin.

Guerin said farmers across Queensland were working with police to improve on-farm security.

The Queensland state MP for Condamine, Patrick Weir, said the days of “leaving keys in tractors and gates unlocked” in rural Queensland were over.

“Some farmers have been hit four times over the last 12 months,” he said. “There was one grain trader in my area who had all his wiring ripped straight out of the conduits. It’s going to cost him $300,000 to get it all repaired and rewired.”

Weir has been pushing landholders to increase the amount of surveillance on their properties in a bid to help police not only find offenders but also obtain the evidence necessary to convict them.

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At a local crime forum in Nangwee hosted by Weir earlier this month, famers met police to discuss their concerns.

“The police have made some significant arrests in this area within the last couple of weeks,” Weir said. “I’m already hearing that things have slowed down a bit. So hopefully, if we can get some arrests and convictions, and landowners get serious about their security, we can start to turn the wheel.”

Major energy and agriculture companies including Graincorp and Ergon Energy have also been hit, with the latter reporting 1o thefts since the start of the year.

Last week, Queensland rural crime squad Sr Sgt Jim Lacey told the ABC that the police were “really focusing” on copper theft.

Lacey said the police had been able to make a few arrests but were still investigating the reported thefts.

“A little piece of information can be the jigsaw puzzle piece to fill in the whole picture,” he said.

Weir said whoever was taking the copper would have to sell it as scrap.

“These people are selling it,” he said. “They’re not stealing it if they can’t sell it. So when somebody goes to these scrap metal yards, with loads of copper, and then they’re back the next week, it’s got to raise eyebrows.”