Acting principal Mitchell Bright said he discovered the theft on the morning of Saturday, May 17.
“I arrived here on site and noticed that a heap of the electrical pit lids were lifting,” he said.
Investigations revealed that between 300 and 400 metres of copper cabling had been deliberately cut and stripped from underground conduits overnight on May 16.
“The copper had been cut off underneath the ground, and they were all live cables,” Mr Bright said.
“They’ve cut live cables and dragged them out via a ute.”
Mr Bright said the Victorian Schools Building Authority arranged for a generator to be installed the following day, restoring power by the Sunday.
The temporary generator has kept the school running throughout the repair process, ensuring minimal disruption to students and staff.
Despite the extent of the theft, the disruption to students was relatively minor, with classes continuing as normal apart from a brief two-hour interruption when the generator temporarily failed.
However, the repair process uncovered a more significant problem.
Mr Bright said authorities found that the school’s main switchboard had been severely affected by the 2022 Rochester floods and had not been adequately repaired.
“There was a lot of damage. They condemned the switchboard and said that it wasn’t safe to use,” he said.
The existing switchboard has since been removed and replaced with a temporary unit while a permanent replacement is installed.
As part of the upgrade, the new switchboard will be positioned above flood height to improve the school’s resilience to future flood events.
The permanent works are expected to be completed during the next school holidays.
“We’re hoping that by next holidays it’s all sorted, and we’re all good to go,” Mr Bright said.
School staff were told that four people were allegedly involved in the theft, with police reportedly identifying at least one suspect in connection with the incident.
Throughout the repair works, the school has been working closely with locals, the Environment Protection Authority Victoria and the Victorian Schools Building Authority to manage noise concerns from the temporary generator — a sign of the community spirit that continues to define Rochester’s recovery.
