SECURITY has been beefed up for Wagga’s centenary of Anzac Day march on Saturday, with more police tasked to the historic event expected to draw more than 10,000 people and bag searches of people attending a Dawn Service at the Army Recruit Training Centre at Kapooka.
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The moves are in the wake of the thwarting last week of an alleged planned Islamic State-inspired attack on a Melbourne Anzac Day service.
But Wagga police have denied their bigger and higher-profile presence is a snap reaction to last week’s frightening development.
“Not really, we expect it to be a bigger event (than in the past) more than anything,” said the police officer in charge of the security operation on Saturday, Inspector Tina McPherson.
Inspector McPherson said a “few more resources” had been allocated to Anzac Day in Wagga and there would be some high-visibility police in and around the march along Baylis Street and the Victory Memorial Gardens, where the march will end and the official ceremony held.
“There will be nothing that will impact on the community,” Inspector McPherson said.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has urged Australians to ignore the spectre of terrorism and turn out at Anzac Day services “in the largest possible numbers”.
Mr Abbott’s sentiment was mirrored by Inspector McPherson. “We do want them (Wagga people) to come out and support this historic occasion and be proud of our heritage,” Inspector McPherson said.
Kapooka’s commandant, Colonel Steve Jobson, said only military personnel, civilian staff and their families were expected to attend the ARTC’s service, which will be held just inside the gates of Blamey Barracks at 5.30am.