A bill to crackdown on the theft of scrap metal will be introduced into parliament this week in another strong step in the Malinauskas Labor Government's commitment to reduce crime.
The Scrap Metal Dealers Bill 2025 responds to a growing trend of the theft of copper piping across the community and the constant theft of metal components from construction sites, which have a significant impact on the state's economy.
Over the past four years, there has been an increase of over 39 per cent in reported scrap metal thefts across South Australia. This equates to a 40 per cent increase in metropolitan areas and a 34 per cent increase in regional areas.
Across 2023-24, about 2,134 instances of scrap metal theft were reported.
The Master Builders Association estimate the cost of metal theft to the industry is more than $70 million each year.
The benefits in regulating the scrap metal industry have been seen both interstate and overseas, with New South Australia and the United Kingdom reporting a 30 per cent reduction in metal theft following the introduction of legislation.
The Scrap Metal Dealers Bill 2025 provides regulation for prescribed scrap metal dealers, dealing in prescribed scrap metal, and powers for authorised officers to search, seize and/or remove evidence from a premises, vehicle or vessel or anything in or on the premises.
It will make the movement and disposal of stolen scrap metal substantially more difficult, while providing improved investigative measures including policing powers.
Examples of scrap metal theft include the theft of copper cabling from the train network, the theft of copper cabling or wiring from light and telecommunications towers, theft of infrastructure from community venues and catalytic converter theft from vehicles.
As well as cost, the theft of scrap metal wires and cables, particularly from construction sites, creates significant safety issues with thieves leaving, often high voltage, live wires exposed.
SAPOL undertook a thorough consultation phase earlier this year which resulted in more than 30 submissions from industry, government departments and interstate jurisdictions.
Click here to see CCTV footage of someone attempting to steal copper from a transformer at a development site.
As put by Blair Boyer
Our government is committed to reducing crime, creating safer worksites and ensuring that our state continues to support businesses and economic growth.
In developing the Bill, we have consulted with interstate law enforcement, industry stakeholders and the broader community.
The message is clear: we must act now to make scrap metal theft unappealing for opportunistic thieves and reduce the rates of criminal activity and harm to both the community and our economy.
This is responsible, measured and necessary reform.
It reflects our Labor values – protecting communities, supporting business, economic growth, protecting the environment and making worksites safer for all workers.
As put by Master Builders South Australia Chief Executive Will Frogley
We applaud the government for introducing legislation to stop unscrupulous scrap metal dealers from paying cash for copper, which is frequently being stolen from building sites.
This type of theft is costing builders over $70 million each year and delaying move in times for new home owners.
As put by Housing Industry Association South Australia Executive Director Stephen Knight
People who steal copper from building sites are idiots, they are endangering their own life's, their coworkers and the general public's. They need to be shut down and these new laws should do it.
These new laws have been a long time coming but to the governments credit they go further than we had asked for.
The government pushing these new laws through before the end of this parliamentary term is great news. Stealing copper from building sites impacts on build times and the cost of new homes, it must be stamped out.
As put by Urban Development Institute of Australia (SA) Chief Executive Liam Golding
All too often copper theft hits housing estates right as houses are nearing completion causing cost and chaos at a critical time.
But more than that, copper theft presents a serious public safety issue as live wires are often left in public places where workers, families, and children playing can be placed at risk of serious harm or even death.
These laws are an important step – increasing punishments and cracking down on the market for stolen copper – in order to support public safety and housing affordability.
