ANTI-TERROR INFRASTRUCTURE

Precast urban infrastructure from S.V.C Products enhances the safety of this local shopping centre.

The installation of open space infrastructure as a method of protection in stadiums and shopping centres, on bridges and other venues with shared traffic zones is the answer delivered by the government to help block terrorists from using vehicles to wreak havoc in pedestrian-heavy venues across Australia.

Commission by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull following the 2016 Nice terror attack, Australia’s Strategy for Protecting Crowded Places from Terrorism report was released on Sunday detailing ways to prevent vehicle attacks similar to those seen in Barcelona, Nice, and London.  

The document has been prepared by the Australian New Zealand Counter Terrorism Committee and focuses on the collaboration between police, local councils, state governments and private operators to protect public spaces.

“It is part of our continuous program of optimising, improving the way we can keep Australians safe,” said the Prime Minister. “We recognise that the threat is constantly evolving, so what we have to do is to make sure we too are constantly improving and updating the measures we have.”

An art installation and concrete seating from S.V.C Products provides a viable barrier between vehicles and visitors to this Docklands area park in Melbourne.

The strategy comes with a do-it-yourself toolkit on installing bollards and planters, and other methods of mitigating a hostile vehicle attack to businesses, councils, and private operators. It also provides guidelines on chemical attacks and what should be done in such instances.

“The best mitigations are done at the design stage,” said Malcolm Turnbull. “You can’t proof every site 100% – there are certainly things that can be done to existing sites – but the most important thing is as you get new developments, new plans that security measures are put in place at that time,” he continued.

The government claims that business owners and venue operators will be given government assistance and aid from the police in completing a security audit of their facilities in order to help develop the right strategy for strengthening their defenses should it be needed.

As the general consensus regarding a terrorist event on Australian shores is ‘probable’, the most responsible thing that can be done is to take measures to “deter, detect and ameliorate any consequences”, according to cabinet minister Arthur Sinodinos.

“As we have seen from tragic events in Paris, London, Berlin and Barcelona, terrorists continue to target crowded places,” said Malcolm Turnbull. “It is vital that all those responsible for crowded places know where to go for information and advice and how to better protect their sites.”

Aluminium seating and sculptural bike racks from TRJ Engineering offer a deterrent in this public space.

View the full counter-terrorism report HERE