Federation Square, Bourke Street to get temporary bollards to prevent terror attacks

FEDERATION Square and Bourke Street will get temporary bollards to prevent terror attacks and will be placed at sites as early as today.

Concrete bollards are set to be rolled out in Melbourne’s CBD. Picture: Ryan Tennison

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FEDERATION Square and Bourke Street are among many places in Melbourne’s CBD that will get temporary bollards to prevent terror attacks.

The bollards are aimed at preventing attacks like the Bourke St rampage. Picture: Ryan Tennison

Premier Daniel Andrews announced this morning that concrete structures would be placed at the sites from as early as today.

It comes after the London and Manchester terror attacks in recent weeks and the Bourke Street tragedy, where a driver killed pedestrians in Melbourne’s CBD.

The plans for the bollards were first revealed on the front page of the Sunday Herald Sun in April.

A siren system was also revealed in that report as part of a $10 million safety upgrade.

The temporary concrete bollards will be introduced to stop unauthorised vehicle access to popular public places such as Federation Square or the MCG.

Mr Andrews said they would be rolled out in the coming days with permanent structures put in place later this year.

“Permanent bollards take some time to set up so we thought it would be appropriate, and I have directed, that temporary bollards be put in place here at Federation Square, Bourke St and a number of other sites”.

Electronic bollards will be set up across tram tracks to stop events like Bourke St from reoccurring, Mr Andrews said.

“There is no time to be wasted here”.

The temporary bollard plan has been brought forward by the State Government.

The move comes despite Police Minister Lisa Neville’s claim that Melbourne is not experiencing a terror crisis.

“We do not have any heightened risk (of terrorism)”.

The Premier says more will be done to deter terrorists.

“We would be dangerously wrong to think reform to bail, reform to parole would be the end of dealing with these threats”

“There is much more that we need to do”.

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