The continuing theft of telephone lines by those wanting to sell the copper puts lives at risk. Long stretches of telephone cable are regularly cut down by small teams of thieves. This leaves many properties and the residents without communications and the ability to call for help. This especially affects the more vulnerable and elderly who may only have a landline phone service. Incidents have been reported to police but due to the expansive area and lack of evidence showing details of the perpetrators, they are reluctant to take any action. The NSW Police Force regulates the scrap metal industry via the Scrap Metal Industry Act 2016 (the Act) and the Scrap Metal Industry Regulation 2024 (the Regulation). Some key points in the Act:
