Ergon Energy says metal theft has affected its infrastructure in Far North Queensland about 44 times over the past year, adding to disruption and costs for electricity users.
The utility reported about 840 incidents statewide and welcomed stronger Queensland laws, according to ABC Far North's 19 October briefing. Ergon's Tropical Coast area manager Chris Juhas said thefts can leave communities without power.
In a 15 October statement, the Queensland Government said legislation had passed to increase penalties for theft or wilful damage where a person's life or health is endangered or the offence occurs during a natural disaster. The maximum in those circumstances is 25 years' imprisonment. The changes also create an attempted metal-theft offence with a maximum seven-year penalty and strengthen scrap-dealer identification and record-keeping rules.
The 25-year maximum applies to specified serious circumstances; it is not the penalty for every metal theft. The Far North and statewide incident counts are figures Ergon supplied to ABC Far North.
Image disclosure: The accompanying image is an AI-generated symbolic editorial illustration, not a photograph of a reported theft or a real Ergon facility.
