Copper crooks target telco pits
Geelong residents have been left in the dark by alleged organised crooks targeting telecommunication pits.
Street lighting and solar infrastructure in areas such as Hamlyn Heights, Bell Post Hill and Melbourne have been repeatedly affected due to alleged theft of copper cabling.
VicRoads reportedly has been forced to explain the disruptions to several concerned residents, with a site near Kardinia International College attacked several times.
Surveillance of areas on Ballarat Rd, between Anakie Rd and the Geelong Ring Rd, is understood to taking place.
One local resident, who did not want to be named, called an intersection at Parkland Drive “really dangerous” and claimed the street lighting had been down “for about four weeks”.
A police investigation is under way, although a Victoria Police spokesman said they were unable to comment.
Ornella Di Rocco, who lives in nearby Parkland Drive, Hamlyn Heights, said the street had been in the dark for
months, despite multiple residents emailing VicRoads.
“I got a generic email that said, ‘Do not respond’,” Ms Di Rocco said.
“It said there’s been theft of copper wiring, and (VicRoads) would not replace them until they can secure the peace that it would never happen again.
“This has been going on since the New Year … it’s about time we did something about the problem.”
Ms Di Rocco said many of the yards on the street backed on to the reserve.
“They’re desperate, I just don’t know why they would be touching live wires. They must know what they’re doing,” she said. “We’re near a school it’s a busy road … it’s quite a thoroughfare.”
Ms Di Rocco said the street backed on to a dark reserve and now that daylight saving had ended, the street was thrown into darkness very early in the evening,
“It just makes our whole neighbourhood quite dark and unsafe,” she said.
“Anybody can jump the fences and we wouldn’t see.
“We have no lighting in front of our house.”
A VicRoads spokesman said it was co-operating with the police probe, but declined to comment further.
It is understood the Transport Department is working with investigators, power companies and the City of Greater Geelong to prevent more thefts.
Police exposed an organised crime syndicate last year in Victoria alleged to have stolen $780,000 worth of copper from telco pits, causing internet and power outages.
Eleven people were arrested in the investigation into 50 largescale copper thefts in Melbourne’s north in the first half of 2023. Offenders allegedly used portable power tools to cut through telco pits in residential streets and stole large quantities of copper. The damage reportedly caused disruptions to internet and power and distress to residents.