MEDIA RELEASE
25 February 2026
Ipswich Copper Theft Taskforce Urgently Needed
- Copper theft is rife and increasing across Ipswich
- More local roads and large sections of highway are losing lighting
- Serious safety hazard for drivers and pedestrians
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.”
[ENDS]
