MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Melbourne Cricket Ground officials will build a 1.8-meter-high (5-foot, 9-inch) fence around the stadium to counter the threat of a terrorist attack.
The fence will be built 20 to 25 meters (65 to 80 feet) from the building and is expected to be completed before a domestic Twenty20 cricket match on Sunday.
The second test between Australia and the West Indies begins Dec. 26 at the MCG.
The fence will act as a security checkpoint, where fans will be screened at entry tents before they are admitted closer to the stadium.
On Nov. 13, 130 people were killed in a series of attacks in Paris. The city's main football venue, the Stade de France, was among the targets - although none of the attackers was able to enter the stadium.
Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane said a potential threat to a major sporting event in Australia was an ''ugly'' thought.
''But it's a reality,'' he told Fairfax Media. ''From a counter-terrorism point of view . if we have explosions, the further away you can be from the solid object, the better outcome it will be for the people surrounding.''
Melbourne Cricket Club chief executive Stephen Gough said the fence would be in place during the summer cricket season but it was yet to be decided whether it would remain for the Australian Football League season next year.
''We continue to receive the very best advice from police and intelligence authorities with respect to security matters,'' Gough said.
The Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park, which annual attracts up to 700,000 spectators, begins on Jan. 18.
Tennis Australia would not comment on security plans. Fans entering Melbourne Park have in the past had their bags and packages checked at security gates and tents - well away from the entrance to the main Rod Laver Arena.
