The number of motor vehicle thefts fell 4% in the year to September, national figures show.

For heavy vehicles, short-term and profit-motivated thefts dropped 12% and 17% respectively, according to the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council.

Short-term thefts of passenger and light commercial (PLC) vehicles fell 4%, with the biggest reduction in WA at 14%. Queensland recorded a 12% increase in PLC theft. While thefts in Victoria dropped by 8%, it still had the largest number, at 12,778.

Profit-motivated PLC thefts grew 5% but were still below the 2014 peak.

Motorcycle theft has continued to rise, up another 4% on the previous year, with an adjusted recovery rate of 46%.

Overall, 53,016 vehicles were stolen in the year. Holden Commodore VE’s were the most popular cars among crooks: 951 were stolen in the year, followed by the Nissan Pulsar at 748.

Queensland held the top three local government areas for theft numbers: Brisbane (2151), Gold Coast (1578) and Logan (1065).