Aluminium plaques - are they the answer?

Bronze plaques are a target for thieves who sell them for their scrap value, which in September 2026 was $5.40 to $6.20 per kilo. Vanished Victoria was interested to see that the plaque commemorating the opening of the Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve Wetlands in Brighton, was made  of aluminium.  

Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve Wetlands

Photo taken September 2026 © Vanished Victoria

In fact, this was inscribed on the plaque in the bottom right hand corner, as you can see from the image below.

Detail of the plaque - This Plaque is Cast Aluminium

The scrap value of aluminum is currently $1.70 to $2.00 per kilo, one third of that of bronze. We are hopeful that by making plaques from aluminium rather that bronze that this may deter the theft of plaques for scrap. Of course, this will only work if the thieves can read.

Reference: Scrap prices as of September 24, 2026  

https://www.southerncrossmetalrecyclers.com.au/scrap-metal-prices