Primrose left in the the dark as cable theft cripples area
There are growing concerns over how much the theft is costing the city each month in repairs and replacement.
The persistent scourge of cable theft in Primrose and surrounding areas is now more than just a criminal nuisance; it is a crisis that continues to cripple essential services and infrastructure.
With the neighbourhood repeatedly plunged into darkness and vital operations disrupted, the Wychwood community and the Primrose Ratepayers Association (PRA) are calling for urgent, co-ordinated intervention.
Recently, four power cables were stolen, each stretching 150m, along Main Reef Road.
The theft left several residents and businesses in Malvern East, Simmerfield, Wychwood A and B, Primrose Hill, and parts of Primrose without power for an entire day.
These thefts affect lighting and communication infrastructure and threaten lives, particularly those dependent on medical equipment such as oxygen machines.
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“This is getting out of hand. Once again, many metres of cable have been stolen feeding the Wychwood substation.
“It’s been over five years of the same thing, and nothing has changed,” said David-Hutch Barr, vice-chairperson of the PRA.
According to the PRA, the criminals break fencing near the local dump to access buried cables, often working under cover of darkness due to the absence of functioning streetlights. Fibre lines have long been targeted, but now electrical infrastructure has become the latest casualty.
Mounting costs, minimal action
There are growing concerns over how much the theft is costing the city each month in repairs and replacement.
Yet, according to residents, there has been little visible progress in proactive or preventive measures.
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“While local security companies have managed to frighten off the cable thieves on occasion, the fear is that they will continue returning unless the city strengthens its response,” said Ward 36 Clr Wendy Morgan.
She said that while the community appreciates the help of local security, the city needs to do more.
“It’s appreciated that local security companies do their best to monitor cables and substations. But the city needs to step up and ensure consistent patrols and long-term security solutions are put in place,” said Morgan.
Lighting up the problem
The PRA has taken steps to take responsibility, engaging the mayoral office and working with a donor to install solar lights at the Wychwood substation.
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This initiative aims to assist technicians and local security personnel operating in the area.
However, the association insists that lighting alone is not enough.
They have proposed a comprehensive list of measures to combat the crisis, including:
• Enhanced physical security.
• Encasing cables in reinforced concrete.
• Burying cables at greater depths.
• Installing tamper-proof access covers.
• Increasing patrols in high-risk areas.
• Technological solutions.
• Microdot marking to trace stolen cables.
• Motion sensors and alarm systems to detect tampering.
• CCTV surveillance at key points.
• Smart tracking using GPS or RFID technology.
• Legal and community action.
• Tighter regulation of scrap metal sales.
• Public awareness campaigns about the impact of cable theft.
• Improved collaboration with law enforcement to boost arrest and prosecution rates.
The areas affected by this ongoing criminal activity include Primrose, Primrose Hill, Wychwood A and B, Simmerfield, Dania Park, Creston Hill, Bedfordview, Marathon, Rasta, Makause, Fishers’ Hill and Malvern East.
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The PRA is urging the city to implement the proposed measures or, at minimum, install early warning systems and explore the possibility of rerouting vulnerable infrastructure.
“The responsibility for securing these critical systems falls under the city’s ITC department.
“They need to ensure that these cables are guarded against theft. The current approach is not working, and residents are paying the price—literally and figuratively,” said Barr.
