The rising youth crime and car thefts in Victoria has the Member for Eastern Victoria, and Shadow Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs Renee Heath worried. Approximately 12,000 cars were stolen in Victoria in the 12 months leading to June 2025, marking a 59% increase from the previous year” the data released by the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) on September 3, 2025 shows. That makes Victoria, Australia’s worst state for car thefts, with a sharp rise in car theft claims and insured losses primarily in metropolitan Melbourne. The data shows a 59% increase in car theft claims over that 12-month period, with motor theft claims totaling $223 million in Victoria alone.
Metropolitan Melbourne accounted for the majority, with about 10,000 claims and a 70% rise in incidents, resulting in $183 million in insured losses. The stats are horrifying. On average, a car was stolen in Victoria every 19.2 minutes during this period. The rise in Victoria contrasted with declines in other Australian states, where car theft claims fell.
What is more concerning is the share of Victoria in this. Compared to Victoria’s rise in car thefts by 59%, nationwide motor theft claims increased only by 11%. Of the total losses of $466 million from car thefts in the whole of Australia, Victoria alone took a lion’s share of $223 million.
According to Ms Heath, illegal scrap-for-cash operators are thriving under Labor’s weak criminal enforcement, driving up car thefts and fuelling youth crime.
Despite laws introduced in 2018 banning cash-for-scrap transactions, Ms Heath said black market traders are flourishing and allowed to operate openly, devastating honest businesses across the state.
“An established Gippsland operator has told me that legitimate businesses are going broke while illegal operators are openly flouting the law.”
With the current illegal scrap market estimated to have an annual turnover of $500 million, the small fines for breaching the law are being ignored.
Also read: Is Renee Heath the political aspirants among migrants should emulate? YES.
“Instead of shutting them down they just fine them regularly. I am told that illegal operators laugh at these fines, describing them as just a small cost for doing business.”
Recent ABS figures show Victoria’s car thefts have jumped by 41 per cent, the highest increase nationally. Of these, around 439 were violent carjackings with three-quarters involving youth.
These underscore concerns that illegal scrap-for-cash are pipelines incentivising car theft and the rise violent youth crime.
“So my question is: Minister, what actions will you take to address the year-on-year rise in illegal operations in Eastern Victoria Region for scrap for cash?” Renee Heath asked.
Shadow Minister Renee Heath says the Allan Labor Government’s inaction on crime generally continues putting communities and businesses at risk.
“The current soft approach to crime is ruining both communities and law-abiding businesses. Without a crackdown, more young people will be lured into crime and more honest businesses will be forced to shut their doors.”