Australia's Melbourne CBD security to be improved after motorist rampage

Australia's Victorian government has said that it will install pedestrian safety measures in the wake of a rampaging motorist who killed six people in Melbourne.

Premier Daniel Andrews said that a public siren system and retractable bollards would be installed across Melbourne's CBD to warn the public of, and protect from, impending terror attacks or other potential threats.

Six people were killed in January and more than 30 injured when a driver ploughed into pedestrians in the pedestrian-only section of the Bourke Street Mall.

Dimitrious Gargasoulas, the accused driver, has been charged with six counts of murder over the incident and is awaiting trial.

"Bourke Street calls us to make changes in honour of the memory of those who died and to honour the sacrifice and the service of so many who came to their aid," Andrews told reporters on Monday.

"The world is changing, it is a different environment today than it was even five or 10 years ago and we need to respond to events that have happened on the other side of the world, and tragically events like Bourke Street."

Andrews said he would work closely with Melbourne's Lord Mayor Robert Doyle and Victoria Police to implement the new measures.

"We want to get this right. We have been working on it for some months and we'll have further exciting announcements to make soon," he said.

"Everything from bollards, planter boxes -- those sort of permanent things -- but with a technological angle, so bollards that can come up and down when needed, controlled from a central point... then of course sirens and other warning devices, they're being looked at very closely as well."

"It may well be a very effective way of making sure in the event people need to take cover and need to take evasive action."

Andrews said the cost could be up to 7.5 million U.S. dollars but it is a small price to pay for safety. Endit