Thieves break into two businesses, torch stolen truck

Police are investigating after two Murraylands businesses were broken into and a stolen truck torched on Tuesday morning.

Two temporary buildings at a construction site on Mannum Road at Tepko were broken into around 4am.

The thieves took a number of Milwaukee power tools, snacks from vending machines in a lunch room, and the keys to an Isuzu truck which they then used to carry away everything else, smashing out through a locked gate as they went.

An hour later the same two thieves drove the truck through the locked gates of a waste and recycling centre on Brinkley Road at Brinkley.

They broke into a shed and stole a white Jimmy tool box which contained hand tools, four Ryobi power tools and a Cigweld plasma cutter.

Finally, they dumped the truck on the Pope Road freeway overpass at Gifford Hill and set it on fire.

Police are seeking information or dash camera footage from anyone who may have seen the truck, a white Isuzu NNR200 with registration XRJ 975, during the morning.

• Contact Crime Stoppers: Call 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestopperssa.com.au.

Murraylands’ authorities prepare for the worst

If a major bushfire, flood, storm or other disaster breaks out in the Murraylands this summer, our region’s leaders will be prepared.

Members of the Murray Mallee zone emergency support team – emergency services personnel and government agency representatives – met in Murray Bridge on Wednesday to plan their response to everything from earthquakes to terrorist attacks.

South Australia's emergency management plan called for different agencies to take the lead in different situations, police Superintendent Scott Denny said.

For example, the Country Fire Service would take charge against a bushfire, or the State Emergency Service in the case of a major storm.

Wednesday’s exercises were based on real-life events, including Superintendent Denny's past experience as a zone coordinator during the Bangor and Pinery bushfires.

“I cannot understate the importance of having a well-structured and supported ZEST so that in the event we do have a large-scale incident, the zone is well prepared to respond and support the control agency and ultimately ensure that we keep our community well informed and, of course, safe,” he said.

Road safety campaign launched

Finally, a road safety campaign filmed at Callington last month has launched.

Seven different advertisements were shot at a mocked-up crash scene, each featuring a different character appealing to country motorists to beware the so-called fatal five: speeding, drink or drug driving, not wearing a seatbelt, distraction and fatigue.

The campaign was based on research which found that country residents believed city folks were more likely to die on country roads.

That is not the case.

Regional residents are over-represented in the road toll, according to SA Police – two thirds of crashes happen outside Adelaide, and almost half of the people killed are within 20 kilometres of their homes.

Road Safety Minister Vincent Tarzia said driver behaviour needed to change.

“Complacency has crept in for some,” he said.

“We ask that every road user stop, listen and digest the confronting content of this new campaign.

“If just one life is saved, then it has done its job.”

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