Rock throwing on the Southern Expressway as dangerous as starting bushfires, says Malcolm Turnbull

ROCK-throwing attacks along major motorways are as dangerous as starting bushfires, the Prime Minister has warned, as he urges councils to consider applying for federal cash to tackle danger zones.

• Reward ruled out to stop rock-throwing idiots
• People becoming too afraid to use Expressway
• MAY: Mother and toddler in near miss
• APRIL: Rocks thrown in Southern Expressway near miss
• MARCH: Cars damaged by rocks thrown on Southern Expressway
• FEBRUARY: Rocks, bottle thrown at cars on Southern Expressway

ROCK-throwing attacks along major motorways are as dangerous as starting bushfires, the Prime Minister has warned, as he urges councils to consider applying for federal cash to tackle danger zones.

Malcolm Turnbull, who travelled along the Southern Expressway on his visit to Adelaide over the weekend, said that throwing rocks off bridges was as “dangerous and reckless a behaviour as you can imagine”.

“My message to those kids is that they could have killed Lauren Mangelsdorf and her passenger (toddler son Lachlan), they could’ve killed people in other cars,” he said.

“This is like starting bushfires. It is potentially lethal behaviour.”

Ms Mangelsdorf’s car was struck by a rock on the Southern Expressway near Reynella late last month.

Mum Lauren Mangelsdorf had rocks thrown at her car as she drover under a Southern Expressway overpass, with her young son in the car. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

Mr Turnbull urged parents to ensure the message was getting through to their children.

“If they hear from their kids, for example, other kids have been doing this, then that’s something they’ve got to take up with school, with police. We have to have zero tolerance for this kind of thing,” he said.

Mr Turnbull said he knew the State Government was responding to the spate of rock attacks on the Southern Expressway with safety upgrades, but there was funding available to address other areas of concern.

“We have a Safer Communities fund and it gives councils and community organisations grants of up to $1 million to install, for example, CCTV, and there’s also screens and barriers to be done as well,” he said.

“In places like bridges across freeways, there’s certainly potential for that funding to support it.”

The Southern Expressway overpass near Moore Rd, where one of the latest incidents of rock throwing occurred. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

Local Government Association president Lorraine Rosenberg said councils would welcome the opportunity to work with the Federal Government, but funding should be used for other initiatives instead of fixing State Government road issues.

“Local government believes we’re the most efficient deliverer of services, and working directly with the Federal Government makes sense to us,” Ms Rosenberg said.

“CCTV is good, but we need to work more in line with good education and diversion programs. That’s the sort of thing local government can see its role in.”

Ms Rosenberg said the LGA would urge the State Government to take responsibility for its roads, including the Southern Expressway.

“It’s important for us not to take on more than we need to from what is a state responsibility,” she said.

“We only get 4 per cent of the taxes of Australia, they get a hell of a lot more than we do.

“We can’t afford under our current regime picking up what the state should be doing and we have broader responsibilities across our councils.”

— with Erin Jones