We now leave our live coverage of the terror threat news.
There is an updated version of Latika Bourke's report of the announcement here:
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Terror alert: Tony Abbott addresses the media
Updated ,first published
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The Greens have responded with some scepticism to today's terror alert news:
The Australian Greens accept the advice of ASIO on threats to Australia but say we cannot ignore the impact of military engagement in Iraq and the Middle East in increasing the risk at home, Christine Milne has argued in a statement.
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If you are just joining us, just over an hour ago, Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced that the terror threat level has been raised from medium to high.
He has stressed that people should continue to go about their normal lives and that there is no intelligence on a specific plot.
Abbott has been quickly backed by other state premiers and Labor leader Bill Shorten.
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Lay says that that there will be extra police at the Geelong and North Melbourne game tonight at the MCG.
He also has a meeting with the AFL and MCG on Wednesday about security for the grand final.
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Down in Melbourne, Premier Denis Napthine and Victoria Police chief commissioner Ken Lay are up.
Napthine says the government and police will work with the owners and operator of critical infrastructure to make sure "appropriate arrangements are in place".
Lay advises people to keep a lookout for:
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Initial reaction from security experts is positive:
Australian Strategic Policy Institute executive director Peter Jennings has told Sky News that when it comes to this sort of thing, "you can't wait too long".
Australian National University visiting fellow Clarke Jones says that asking the public to be aware is a "good strategy".
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In Sydney - at a separate event to Shorten's - Rachel Olding has been attending a press conference from Premier Mike Baird and NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione.
Rachel reports that Baird and Scipione have reiterated the Prime Minister's comments that there has been no current plot detected.
But they have noted that raising the threat level is about reflecting the current climate.
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Up in Queensland, Premier Campbell Newman has told reporters that there will be more screening at airports and sporting events in his state.
Amy Remeikis tells us that Newman has urged residents to be "alert but not anxious".
He said there were no planned changes to the G20, which Brisbane will host in November.
"We are a tolerant, peace loving democracy," he said. "We have to remember that and keep thinking about that."
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Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus hops in here to back up the ASIO terror threat rating.
"I'd like to make clear that we accept the advice of ASIO."
(It would be a brave shadow minister who disagreed with the advice of ASIO...)
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Shorten also backs the government's plans to assist international efforts against ISIL.
He thanks Abbott for briefing him directly on these serious matters.
"The Prime Minister and I are partners when it comes to national security and protecting Australians."
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