SA LAWS TO STOP COPPER THEFT
Copper Law to STOP Site THEFT.
 

Copper Theft has become a $70 Million Problem and South Australia has Changed the Law. But Is It Fast Enough?

The Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2025 was legislated to make stolen copper harder to sell.
 

Once fully implemented, scrap dealers will be required to verify sellers, keep digital transaction records and eliminate anonymous cash payments.

It's a positive step...

But the new system isn't expected to be fully operational until 2028. For builders, that's still a long way off.

In the meantime, copper remains a high value target, and the lure of "cash for copper" continues to drive opportunistic theft from construction sites.
 

The State Government has reported scrap metal theft increasing by more than 39% over four years, while the Master Builders Association estimates copper theft is costing South Australia's construction industry more than $70 million every year.

And the copper itself is often the cheapest part. The real costs come from damaged switchboards, replacement wait times, project delays, insurance claims and angry clients from lack of security!

Prevention has become far more important than simply recording what happened.

AI construction cameras can detect intruders and send alerts the moment someone gets near a power target, while dedicated 4G Power Box Alarms can immediately notify builders if critical temporary power infrastructure is opened or tampered with whilst sending out loud alarms upon box tampering.

The new legislation is welcome—but builders can't afford to wait until 2028 for protection.

PLAN • COVER • DETER