More than 3,700 secondary vehicle immobiliser vouchers available for Cairns residents

• Almost 10,000 secondary vehicle immobiliser vouchers have been issued in first month of the Vehicle Immobiliser Trial 
• Cairns residents are encouraged to apply for the more than 3,700 remaining Vehicle Immobiliser vouchers  
• A secondary engine immobiliser subsidy voucher is valued at $500 and will cover the full cost of some secondary engine immobilisers, meaning there is no out of pocket expense.

Vehicle owners are taking advantage of the Palaszczuk Government’s Secondary Vehicle Immobiliser Subsidy Trial with almost half of all vouchers snapped up within the first month. 

A total of 9,765 vouchers have already been obtained as part of the scheme, which opened to eligible residents in Cairns, Townsville and Mount Isa on August 2.  

The devices significantly strengthen the security of the vehicle, and mean that even with the car keys - it is essentially impossible to start the engine of a car fitted with a secondary engine immobiliser without access to a personal activation code or sequence.   

The Palaszczuk Government is providing a $500 subsidy voucher to vehicle owners as part of a $10 million investment to support the installation of up to 20,000 secondary engine immobilisers.

The scheme will better safeguard vehicles from theft across the selected trial areas.

Up to 20,000 secondary engine immobilisers are expected to be installed across the trial areas, with a total of 9,000 subsidy vouchers available in Townsville, 8,000 in Cairns and 900 in Mt Isa.

A further 2,100 vouchers are reserved for distribution to people across the three trial areas who are identified by police as individuals who would benefit from the installation of an immobiliser device. 

Quotes attributed to Police Minister Mark Ryan:

“We are extremely pleased with the level of interest from residents in participating in the Palaszczuk Government’s Secondary Vehicle Immobiliser Subsidy Trial.

“Already, almost half of the allocated vouchers have been issued to residents in just the first month of the program. 

“We know these devices are making a real difference for vehicle owners, not only in protecting their vehicle but providing a level of comfort to them. 

“I’m encouraging interested vehicle owners in the trial area to get on board and take advantage of this offer.” 

Quotes attributed to Michael Healy, Local Member for Cairns:

“There’s a wide range of things we’re doing to put downward pressure on crime.

“We want to keep the community safe, and tackle crime from all angles.

“We’ve identified Cairns as a high-risk area, and as a result I’m pleased that the government has listened to the community and provided engine immobiliser subsidies to form part of a broader strategy to protect our community.”

Quotes attributed to Acting Assistant Commissioner Chris Stream:

“We have been really encouraged by the interest from both vehicle owners wanting to boost their security and also the participation from installers.

“Having hundreds of vehicles fitted with secondary immobilisers in only the first few weeks of the trial is excellent and we look forward to seeing more people take-up this offer. 

“From a policing perspective, reducing vehicle theft remains a significant priority for the Police Service, and we know preventative measures such as this initiative will really be key to us driving down property crime.” 

Further information:

More information about the trial is available on the QPS Website: https://www.police.qld.gov.au/initiatives/vehicle-immobiliser-subsidy-trial

Key statistics: 

• 8,000 vouchers allocated to Cairns residents
• 4,205 vouchers obtained
• 3,795 vouchers still available

Media contact: 3035 8300