Sports fans will "face stringent new security measures at the Melbourne Cricket Ground amid fears the stadium is vulnerable to a car bomb attack," according to Hawthorne, Houston & Vedelago of THE AGE. The latest plan "will see two lanes of Brunton Avenue closed for the duration of any major event to ensure vehicles entering the MCG's underground car park can be searched before approaching the gate." That entry point has been identified as a "major weak spot" in the ground's security, making it a potential target for a terror attack. A source close to the state government said, "The threats have been sufficiently credible that we know the MCG is a target. The road there goes right past the ground and you can drive a car or vehicle directly under the grandstand." The MCC's private security contractor, SECUREcorp, will conduct the searches. An MCC spokesperson was unable to clarify what legal authority, if any, the MCC or private security company "had to search vehicles on a public road." Victoria Police "will act in a support capacity, providing protection and traffic management for the operation but would not directly participate in the searches." The MCC and Victoria Police have declined to comment on what information has prompted the "drastic move" (THE AGE, 1/17).
