Malcolm Turnbull Releases National Plan to Protect Crowded Places
On Sunday the Prime Minister announced the release of a manual, prepared by state and federal police and security authorities, for the protection of crowded places.
At a separate press conference yesterday the Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten, and the Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews, endorsed the plan.
The main points in the plan are: crowded places are defined as locations easily accessible by large numbers of people on a predictable basis.
They include sports stadiums, public transport, shopping centres, pubs and clubs, places of worship, movie theatres, parks or pedestrian malls.
Owners and operators of crowded places have primary responsibility for protecting their sites and the people who work or visit there.
Security considerations must be incorporated into planning – including executive decision-making, training staff and encouraging them to report vulnerabilities and incidents.
Police will run crowded places forums where business and venue owners and governments can share information.
Forums will report regularly to a national advisory group.
An online self-assessment tool will help decide how attractive a particular crowded place might be as a terrorist target.
Assessment factors include historical, religious, cultural or political symbols, how many people can gather there, and whether the timing of crowds is predictable.
Businesses are able to access crowded places security audit tools which are available online as well as suggestions about how to hire a reliable security consultant to undertake an assessment.
Deterrence and detection measures include fences, CCTV cameras, lighting, security patrols, barriers or bollards, alarm systems, and screening procedures.
Measures to respond to a potential attack include having trained security staff, an emergency communication system and comprehensive security plans.
Detailed guidelines for dealing with armed offenders, bombs, chemical weapons and vehicle attacks are available online.
Police will provide specific information on local threats to owners and operators of businesses.
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