Melbourne Airport Installs $3.5 Million Tyre Spike System to Combat Record Car Thefts
Melbourne Airport has installed $3.5 million tyre spike systems at its car park exits following a record surge in vehicle thefts, with 140 cars stolen from the site in 2025 alone — nearly double the previous year's figure. The spikes, installed three weeks ago, have already foiled two theft attempts, with only one car stolen since their deployment. The measure highlights Victoria's broader car theft crisis, where more vehicles are stolen than in all other Australian capital cities combined.
Melbourne Airport has invested $3.5 million in retractable tyre spike systems at the exits of its Value Car Parks after the facility became a significant hotspot for vehicle theft, recording 140 stolen cars in 2025 — up from 77 in 2024. Thieves have predominantly exploited key-cloning and key-mimicking devices to steal push-button start vehicles, in some cases using the cars' GPS systems to subsequently burgle the owners' homes. Since the spikes were installed three weeks ago, only one vehicle has been successfully stolen — a case in which the owner inadvertently left a credit card inside, allowing the thief to pay their way out of the car park. The rollout extends a system already in use in the airport's rental car precinct and is being implemented alongside ongoing cooperation with Victoria Police and the Australian Federal Police. Victoria has become Australia's car theft capital, with $243 million paid out across 12,500 insurance claims last year — more than the rest of the country combined — and a car stolen or broken into every 42 minutes statewide. Police estimate over 10,000 vehicles per year are stolen using key-cloning devices and recommend owners fit anti-theft measures such as OBD port locks. High-profile cases, including the theft of AFL player Bobby Hill's Holden Commodore from the airport in October, have drawn public attention to the issue.
What's missing
Neither source explains how the tyre spike system is operated or triggered — for example, whether it is remotely activated by security staff or automated — which is relevant to assessing its long-term effectiveness and potential for misuse or malfunction.
What different sources said
- The AgeCenter
Car thieves targeting Melbourne Airport can soon expect a nasty surprise
- Sydney Morning HeraldCenter
Car thieves targeting Melbourne Airport can soon expect a nasty surprise
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