Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says Melbourne and other Australian cities need to tighten up access to busy pedestrian areas to address a "concerning vulnerability" to incidents like the Bourke Street rampage which has claimed five lives and injured dozens more.
Mr Turnbull said extensive discussions were continuing with Victorian and other state governments about "hardening up" places where large groups of people gather to prevent attacks with vehicles, whether they are terrorist acts or triggered by other motives.
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Bourke Street grief turns to acts of kindness
In the midst of the Bourke Street tragedy the true spirit of Melburnians continues to be revealed with stories of strangers pulling together to help the victims left injured in the terrible rampage.
"This is a very concerning vulnerability we have in anywhere where you have a large number of people gathered together, we need to be able to ensure as much as we can, that it is not possible to get a vehicle in there," he told Melbourne radio station 3AW.
"You've got a wonderful, big open city with big streets, wide footpaths. The attack in Bourke Street is an example of a vulnerability that we have to address."
The Prime Minister pointed to boosting the number of bollards, which prevented the Bourke Street driver from entering a certain area, as a measure to be seriously considered.
He said that the efforts of authorities to secure mass gatherings were extensive but that hard structures should also stop it from being "relatively easy" to gain access with a vehicle.
Dimitrious Gargasoulas, 26, has been charged with five counts of murder after he allegedly mowed pedestrians in the Melbourne CBD last Friday.