Bourke St Mall needs safety bollards in wake of deadly rampage, Malcolm Turnbull says

PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said bollards need to be installed in Melbourne CBD to stop terrorists carrying out a repeat of the Bourke St massacre.

PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said bollards need to be installed in Melbourne CBD to stop terrorists carrying out a repeat of the Bourke St massacre.

Mr Turnbull said last week’s tragedy showed how easy it would be for a terrorist to launch a deadly attack in the city.

“We work very closely with state police ... our federal police do and our security agencies do,” the PM said on 3AW this morning.

“We have had extensive discussions with them about protecting public places.

“We are having extensive discussions with the states about hardening up places of mass gathering.

“The shocking attack in Bourke St with the vehicle follows on from the truck attack in Nice and we have been working with state and other governments to ensure places of mass gathering are hardened.

“I believe more needs to be done in that area in Melbourne.

“I have had discussions with the Premier and with the Lord Mayor about it but this is a very, very concerning vulnerability.

“We need to be able to ensure as much as we can that it is not possible to get a vehicle into that place.”

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at Melbourne GPO laying floral tributes. Picture: Getty

Floral tributes in Bourke St Mall. Picture: Getty

The Prime Minister said more needed to be done in Melbourne to protect Victorians and visitors to the city.

“You’ve got wonderful big open city with big streets and wide footpaths,” the PM said.

“The attack in Bourke Street is an example of a vulnerability that we have to address.

“This alleged criminal sought to turn into Little Collins St and wasn’t able to do so because of bollards he then turned into Bourke St to begin the murderous assault.”

Mr Turnbull again offered his condolences to the families of the victims and paid tribute to the courage and dedication of emergency services and members of the public who helped.

He said the city needs to consider installing more bollards.

“I think you do ... it is a significant issue where you have a big mall and (it’s) relatively easy to get a vehicle into a place where you have a large number of people,” he said.

“There is good planning generally for places of mass gathering and at events like New Year’s Eve and so forth.

“When you are looking at these pedestrianised areas in cities you have to have a hard-headed look at how you could make it harder to get a vehicle in there.

“It is a threat of terrorism but this individual who is accused of killing five people and injured many more was not engaging in an act of terrorism.

“But what he was doing was using a method of attack that had been demonstrated by a terrorist in Nice and a similar terrorist attack in Berlin.

“It is a vulnerability. Just one vehicle can — it doesn’t have to be a truck — can do so much damage.

“I have spoken to Robert Doyle and to Premier Andrews and my counter terrorism co-ordinator has been working with state colleagues since last year, since the attack in Nice.

“I believe this is a very high priority that has to be addressed.”

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