Damaged wiring showing where a thief has cut wire from a centre pivot irrigator in Tasmania. Source – supplied.

TASMANIAN farmers are seeking higher penalties for rural crime after reports of copper wire thefts from centre pivot irrigators and reports of stolen grain and fuel on farms.

State farmer body TasFarmers said today farmers continue to be a target for thieves, with increasing reports of centre pivots being stripped of copper, from northern Tasmania and the southern Midlands.

TasFarmers president Ian Sauer said the government needs to consider harsher penalties for trespassing and criminal damage.

“Rates of theft and armed trespass are on the rise, and farmers are feeling increasingly vulnerable,” he said.

“Farmers are encouraged to adopt new technologies.

“Surveillance cameras have already proven effective at catching thieves, and it’s only a matter of time before high-quality CCTV images lead to arrests,” he said.

Mr Sauer said the peak body has previously raised concerns about copper thefts from irrigation equipment in the northern Midlands; however, thieves are becoming more brazen, and the wave of crime is escalating.

“After recent storms caused pivots to fall over, thieves have been trespassing to steal cabling—the replacement value of which can be between $15,000 and $20,000, even though the scrap value of the copper cable is relatively low.

“A centre pivot can be worth over $150,000, and when it collapses it must be replaced,” he said.

“While some old parts can be reused, losing $20,000 worth of copper cabling from theft is like kicking someone when they’re already down.

“At this time of year, farmers are flat out trying to get crops in and water their paddocks, which is essential,” he said.

Mr Sauer said when irrigator cabling is stolen, farmers have to wait for new cables to arrive and for repairs to be done.

“This work significantly extends the time frame for getting back on your feet.”

Mr Sauer said in the Derwent Valley, TasFarmers has also heard an example of thieves having stolen 12 tons of barley over three consecutive nights—a significant loss. In addition, fuel trailers and generator sets have been found emptied.

“There’s no way this level of theft and damage would be tolerated in an urban setting.

“If $20,000 worth of cabling were stolen from a house, the community would be in uproar,” he said.

“Just because it happens outside the city limits doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter.

“It’s nonsense. It’s unfair,” he said.

“We urge farmers to report any suspicious activity, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem.

“There is a real pattern emerging and maybe we need police doing more random patrols on our rural roads,” Mr Sauer said.

Tasmania Police’s acting inspector for the Central North Division, Mike Gillies at Longford, said there have been three reported copper wire thefts in recent months within the Northern Midlands area.

“Investigations are continuing in regard the sale of the stolen copper, to identify the offender,” he said.

Anyone who is the victim of rural crime is encouraged to contact police in the first instance on 131 444. Information about rural crime can be reported anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestopperstas.com.au