14 March 2008
- News In Brief
- Homeland and Border Security Review
- Review of the National Counter-terrorism Arrangements
- Australia 2020 Summit: The National Security Dimension
- AHSRC News
- Chemicals Review Seeks Public Comment
- Enhancement to the National Security Website
- Self Reliance Recognised In Safer Communities Awards
- Customs Resumes Cross Border Patrols with PNG..
- Boost to Northern Territory Bus Safety
- WA Police Gain In-Car Access to Vital Information on the Frontline
- New Defence White Paper
- Boeing Research Centre for QLD
- Publications
- Events
- Mr Alastair Milroy has been re- appointed for a further 12 months as the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Crime Commission.
- Applications for the National Emergency Volunteer Support Fund in 2008/09 are now invited. Applications for funding through the initiative will close on 7 March 2008. Details of the program, including guidelines and application forms can be found on the EMA website
- Australia and the United States have agreed at the AUSMIN talks that the illicit transfer and unauthorised access to man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS) by terrorist and other non-state actors pose an on-going potential threat to international civil and military aviation. They will continue to encourage the international community to adopt and adhere to strengthened MANPADS counter-proliferation controls.
The Australian Government will undertake a comprehensive review of homeland and border security arrangements in Australia.
The Homeland and Border Security Review is part of the Government’s commitment to examine the need for change in our homeland and border security arrangements.
The Review will consider the roles, responsibilities and functions of departments and agencies involved in homeland and border security. The Review will also consider possible changes to optimise the coordination and effectiveness of our homeland and border security efforts.
Mr Ric Smith AO PSM will conduct this Review. Mr Smith was the Secretary of the Department of Defence from 2002 to 2006 and prior to this he was Australia’s Ambassador to Indonesia and also to the People’s Republic of China. Mr Ric Smith is a highly experienced and qualified person to lead this important high level review.
The Review will draw on expertise from across Australian Government agencies with responsibility for homeland and border security. The Review will report by 30 June 2008.
The Review’s terms of reference will not be released by the Prime Minister’s Office.
A tender has been released to review the overall National Counter-Terrorism Arrangements and the performance of the NCTC and, if necessary, to make recommendations for improvement. The period for review is from 1 May 2005 until 30 November 2007.
The Review will assess the effectiveness of the national counter-terrorism arrangements as described in the Inter Governmental Agreement and the National Counter-Terrorism Plan.
The tender closed on 11 March 2008.
Information is available here.
Australia 2020 Summit: The National Security Dimension
The Rudd Government will convene an Australia 2020 Summit at Parliament House on 19 and 20 April to help shape a long term strategy for the nation’s future.
To do this, the Government will bring together 1000 leading Australians to the national Parliament to debate and develop long-term options for the nation across 10 critical areas. One of these areas will be Australia’s future and prosperity in the region and throughout the world.
Participants will be selected by a 10 member non-government Steering Committee. The Summit will be co-chaired by the Prime Minister and Professor Glyn Davis, Vice Chancellor of the University of Melbourne.
This Steering Committee will select up to 100 participants in each of the Summit areas who will attend in a voluntary capacity. The participants will be drawn from:
- business
- academia
- community and industrial organisations
- the media.
The committee also includes a number of individual eminent Australians.
Summit participants will be invited in their own right rather than as institutional representatives from any particular organisation. Each of the 10 Summit areas will be co-chaired by a Federal Government Minister and a member of the Steering Committee.
The Summit will have the following objectives:
- To harness the best ideas across the nation
- To apply those ideas to the 10 core challenges that the Government has identified for Australia – to secure our long-term future through to 2020
- To provide a forum for free and open public debate in which there are no predetermined right or wrong answers for each of the Summit’s 10 areas to produce following the Summit options for consideration by government.
The Government will produce a public response to these options papers by the end of 2008 with a view of shaping the nation’s long-term direction from 2009 and beyond.
One of the summit’s 10 areas will be ‘Australia’s future and prosperity in the region and throughout the world’ in which the Government has stated is an area in which it is committed to restoring Australia’s place as a nation of creative middle power diplomacy – both in our region and in broader international forums. The Government has said that it believes that Australia has the potential to be a significant force for good in our region and on the world stage, including through our diplomatic efforts, increased contribution to efforts to reduce extreme poverty and fostering stability and peace in our region.
The area focusing on ‘Australia’s future and prosperity in the region and throughout the world’ at the Australia 2020 Summit will examine:
- How Australia best protects its national security interests in the face of an increasingly complex threat spectrum, including terrorism, bio-security and other threats to human security – as well as the adequacy of existing institutional arrangements for dealing with the threat spectrum into the future
- How Australia should maximise its cooperation with its long-standing ally the United States
- How Australia engages with China and India in the coming decades as both play an increasingly important economic and political role
- How Australia can make the greatest contribution both within and outside the framework of the United Nations in addressing the challenge of extreme poverty
- The long-term adequacy of Australia’s existing foreign language capabilities to meet increasingly complex challenges presented by the globalisation.
Full agenda papers will be circulated to conference participants approximately one month prior to the Summit.
The stream ‘Australia’s future and prosperity in the region and throughout the world’ will be chaired by Professor Michael Wesley.
Professor Michael Wesley is director of the Griffith Asia Institute at Griffith University. Prior to taking this position he was the Assistant Director-General for Transnational Issues at the Office of National Assessments. His research interests include Asia-Pacific politics and security, UN peacekeeping, Australian foreign policy, and regional organisations.
Professor Wesley is the research convenor of the Australian Institute of International Affairs, a member of the Australian Member Committee of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific, and a member of the Australian Research Council’s College of Experts. Professor Wesley holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
Information on the Summit can be viewed here.
The Australian Homeland Security Research Centre has two new appointments.
- Jason Brown has been appointed as Research Associate of the Centre. Jason is the National Security Director, Thales Australia. He joins the other Research Associates Clive Williams MG, Don Williams CPP, Julian Talbot, David Beveridge and Luke Howie
- Research Associate Luke Howie, who is a member of the School of Political and Social Inquiry at Monash University has been awarded his Doctorate earlier this year
- Mimi Mekdarasouk has joined the Centre as their Events Coordinator.
A draft report on the control of chemicals of security concern for public consultation and comment has been released.
The report is the outcome of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Review of Hazardous Materials, which has examined the regulation, reporting and security surrounding the illegal or unauthorised use of chemicals for terrorist purposes. According to the Attorney General, the draft report is an important step towards ensuring dangerous chemicals do not fall into the wrong hands.
The public has until 4 April 2008 to review and comment on the draft report. The report will then be finalised for COAG consideration. Consultation sessions are scheduled to take place in all States and Territories to assist the public in providing feedback on the report.
Copies of the draft report can be found by registering here.
The reliability of the Australian Government’s National Security website has been enhanced. It now offers a single access point for counter-terrorism information from the Australian Government. In the event of an incident, the website would provide up-to-date information on coordination arrangements and the national counter-terrorism plan. The global service provider operating the plan, Akamai Technologies Inc. has worked closely with the Attorney-General's Department over the past year to upgrade the site and will continue to support the National Security website over the next two years.
The National Security website is available here.
Thirteen government and non-government organisations have been presented with the Australian Safer Communities Awards for 2007.
The joint winners of the 'Projects of National Significance Pre-Disaster category were:
- the Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia
- Geoscience Australia, for their research partnership examining the risks of tsunami on the WA coastline.
Other winners included:
- St John Ambulance Australia
- Australian Red Cross
- Surf Life Saving Australia.
The recipients, their categories and their awards can be found at the Attorney General’s website.
Officers from Customs and Queensland Police will visit villages in PNG and the Torres Strait in a move to increase border protection in the region.
The Joint Cross Border Patrol will visit the islands of Daru (PNG) and Saibai (Australia) and the villages of Sigabaduru, Mabaduan, Kulalai, and Buzi on the PNG mainland.
During the visits the team of eight officials from both countries will talk to locals about cross border movement regulations and gather information on suspicious border activities. The patrol will also allow officials to familiarise themselves with the people and environment along the Western Province Coast of PNG and Torres Strait communities.
The Minister for Home Affairs stated that the patrols are an important part of making sure that Australia’s northern borders are protected. Previous patrols have resulted in the disruption of weapon and cannabis smuggling.
Boost to Northern Territory Bus Safety
The Territory Government aims to boost safety on the public bus network by introducing legislation to give Transport Safety Officers (TSOs) greater powers to deal with anti-social behaviour.
Under the legislation TSOs can use reasonable force to remove or detain individuals causing trouble and trespass notices can now be issued by TSOs to prevent problem passengers using the bus network.
TSOs will undergo training and accreditation so they are equipped on how to use their new powers to respond to anti-social behaviour. Police will also have a heightened focus on responding to incidents on the bus network.
The new legislation will be introduced in April and this will enable the changes to come into operation in the middle of this year.
|
The Australian Homeland Security Research Centre will host the Pandemic Summit at The Marque Hotel and the History Symposium at University House at The Australian National University in Canberra.
For further information here. |
WA Police Gain In-Car Access to Vital Information on the Frontline
Police throughout Perth will have access to the full Western Australian Police database from the roadside following the roll-out of the digital in-vehicle Tasking and Dispatch Information System (TADIS). The technology now available to officers in-car on the frontline means that all metropolitan officers can access critical operational data while out on patrol.
TADIS provides safety for police and enables them to:
- attend incidents armed with more and better information
- improve response times.
Linked to the National Search database, officers can also access key information about persons of interest in all States and Territories.
A New Defence White Paper has been commissioned. The Minister for Defence has announced the review’s structure along with the appointment of the personnel who will be responsible for the development and delivery of this key strategic document.
The Minister noted:
- “The White Paper is a vital planning document that will form the foundation of our future Defence capabilities… The White Paper will help the government make fully-informed and cost-effective decisions about the military capabilities we need to defend Australia and to promote our interests”
- “It will align defence strategic guidance, force structure and capability priorities, and resource strategies, by taking a comprehensive view of the Defence enterprise.”
The Minister has also commissioned a series of accompanying reviews (Companion Reviews) to be conducted across a range of Defence areas to underpin the new White Paper. These studies will be a key input to developing Defence business and budget priorities out to 2030.
The production of the White Paper will be led by Defence and the recommendation of the Chief of the Defence Force and Secretary of Defence.
Mr Michael Pezzullo, Deputy Secretary within the Department is the principle author of the White Paper.
The Ministerial Advisory Panel will provide external advice on key issues associated with the White Paper, and to work with Mr Pezzullo. The Panel comprises:
- Professor Ross Babbage
- Major General Peter Abigail (Retd)
- Dr Mark Thomson.
The Minister foreshadowed that there will be opportunities for community participation in the White Paper process. “I will be announcing the membership of the community consultative panel and details of the community consultation process in the near future”, he said.
Boeing is to establish a branch of its Phantom Works advanced research and development unit in Australia, with a significant presence in Queensland.
The Phantom Works branch in Australia will concentrate on several major research programs, including:
- advanced composites
- Light robotics
- Unmanned Airborne Vehicles (UAVs) and
- Ageing aircraft technologies.
The branch will also conduct research that addresses aerospace environmental issues through innovative air space management concepts to improve airport efficiency and reduce noise and fuel burn when an aircraft lands.
Phantom Works operate collaboratively on its research projects and an example of this is the Scramjet Project which is a partnership between the University of Queensland and the US based Phantom Works and supported by the Queensland Government. The partnership allows the University of Queensland’s Centre for Hypersonics to continue to build advanced scramjet prototypes and undertake prolonged flight tests at speeds of more than Mach 8, or 8000km/h.
Between 1997 and 2006, Boeing Australia conducted more than A$300 million of R&D in Australia, much of which was spent in Queensland.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) has released a Policy Analysis titled ‘Pakistan, our paradoxical partner in the war on terror’. The paper, authored by Raspal Khosa, examines Pakistan’s paradoxical role in the war on terror; at once a source of extremism and a key partner of the West in fighting it, as well as the policy implications for Australia.
The paper can be viewed in full here.
Austrade is working with the ACT Govt to organise a trade mission to Washington DC and Canada in June 08. The Chief Minister will lead the mission.
Austrade is looking for companies that may have an interest in the govt procurement market, including services, ICT, defence and security.
Further information on the mission is available here.
The Australian Crime Commission’s (ACC) Annual Report 2006-07 has revealed significant results in investigations and intelligence operations aimed at disrupting and dismantle organised crime syndicates in Australia.
During the reporting period the ACC:
- disrupted 51 serious organised crime groups or significant organised criminal identities
- seized $1,562 million in drugs
- saw $12 million proceeds of crime restrained or forfeited.
US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Approves Mandatory Security Standards
In an effort to safeguard the nation’s electrical grid from disruption by cyber attackers, the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued a final rule approving eight mandatory security standards that apply to all users, owners, and operators of the U.S. bulk power system.
Deemed critical infrastructure protection (CIP) standards, the documents are intended to protect against:
- poor access control
- software vulnerabilities
- other weaknesses in data-control systems.
Developed in 2006 by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), the CIP standards underwent a lengthy review and comment process before their final approval in January 2008.
The eight CIP reliability standards address the following topics:
- Critical Cyber Asset Identification
- Security Management Controls
- Personnel and Training
- Electronic Security Perimeters
- Physical Security of Critical Cyber Assets
- Systems Security Management
- Incident Reporting and Response Planning
- Recovery Plans for Critical Cyber Assets.
A full copy of the report can be found here.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has published the National Response Framework (NRF), which will supersede the National Response Plan (NRP). The framework focuses on the national response to and short-term recovery from all-hazard disasters across all levels of government as well as private sector and non-governmental organizations.
The NRF is based on the NRP, retains much of its content, and continues to build on the principles of NIMS.
The Response Framework is available here.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Financial Services Sector Coordinating Council for Critical Infrastructure Protection and Homeland Security (FSSCC), and the Financial and Banking Information Infrastructure Committee (FBIIC) have released the in-depth results of the FBIIC/FSSCC Pandemic Flu Exercise of 2007. The report provides a thorough examination of the industry's plans during a pandemic outbreak. Results compare industry responses on issues including plans for telecommuting, stockpiling equipment and anti-virus medication, and other continuity measures. Most importantly, exercise results demonstrate that while there may be significant impacts to the financial services sector during a pandemic outbreak, the sector overall will continue to operate and cope with these impacts. The exercise, conducted in September-October 2007, was the largest pandemic exercise ever held for financial services industry. The exercise highlighted the need for organizations to include pandemic-specific focus in their overall business continuity planning efforts. The exercise simulated absentee rates at up to 49 percent across the country. Critical infrastructures that the sector relies on were also stressed resulting in notable service degradation.
The full report can be found here.
Trust for America's Health (TFAH) recently released the fifth annual ‘Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Disease, Disasters, and Bioterrorism’ report, which found that while important progress has been made, critical areas of the nation's emergency health preparedness effort still require attention. In addition, the continuing trend of annual cuts in federal funding for state and local preparedness activities threatens the nation's safety. The report contains state-by-state health preparedness scores based on ten key indicators to assess health emergency preparedness capabilities. All fifty U.S. states and the District of Columbia (DC) were evaluated based on data from publicly available sources or public officials in 2007. It found that:
- Thirty-five states and DC scored eight or higher on the scale of ten indicators
- Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia scored the highest with 10 out of 10
- Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Nevada, Wisconsin, and Wyoming scored the lowest with six out of 10.
A full copy of the report can be found here.
The Security Professionals’ Congress will be held in Melbourne on 26 and 27 May 2008.
Aimed at security professionals, notably security managers and government advisors, the Congress consists of morning plenary presentations and afternoon workshops. This format maximizes learnings, personnel network development and ability to contribute their views.
The Congress will hear from Australia's security leaders and will be attended by many of the nation's senior security, risk and intelligence practitioners. This guaranteed that by the end of the Congress delegates had considerable practical information which can be applied in their workplace as well as developing a network of people that will allow delegates to further their knowledge and career.
For further information and to register click here.
The Pandemic Influenza and Workplace Infectious Diseases Summit will be held in Canberra at The Marque Hotel and the 2nd Pandemic Influenza History Symposium will be held in Canberra at University House at The Australian National University.
The Pandemic Summit and Symposium is aimed at Business Continuity Staff, Medical Offices, Pandemic Offices, Infectious Disease and Pandemic Policy Staff and OH&S staff. The Summit will consist of morning plenary presentations and afternoon workshops. This format maximizes learning, personnel network development and ability to contribute their views.
The Summit objectives are to:
- Provide foundation knowledge in pandemic influenza and workplace infectious diseases preparation, prevention, response and recovery
- Identify the state-of-the-art in preparation, prevention, response and recovery relating to pandemic influenza and workplace infectious diseases
- Provide a forum to share effective strategies, best practices, tools, and existing projects, and develop a network of contacts
For further information and to register click here.
|
