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News
- Community Preparedness for Emergencies
- ASIO's Director-General identifies changes to ASIO and AFP
- New headquarters of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Investigative Service
- Funding for Security Upgrades at Regional Airports
- Australia Partners with East Timor on Aviation Security
- Additional police for Gold Coast Airport
- Micronesia Regional National Crime Unit in Pacific
- Crime-fighting Design School Established
- The Queen's Birthday Honours List 2008
- Security elements of the 2020 Summit Final Report
- Coercive Powers Administrative Review Report
- Equine Influenza Inquiry Report Released
- Closer Cooperation on Trans Tasman Travel, Trade and Security
- CrimTrac Wins E-Award
- Importation of Laser Pointers Banned
- Defence Discussion Paper and Community Consultation Program
- Australian Publications
- International Publications
Events
- Safeguarding Australia Conference: The 7th Homeland Security Conference & Exposition
- The Third Workshop on Social Implications of National Security
- Blast Design and Modelling Forum
- PhD National Security Workshop
- Running an Exercise Course
News
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released a publication on the community preparedness for emergencies in Western Australia. Topics covered include statistics on: emergency action plans -such as prearranged exit plans from residences and alternate accommodation arrangements in event of an emergency; transportation needs during evacuation; householders who have caring responsibilities for non-household members; members of households who do not understand English; and the availability of stored drinking water and emergency food stores.
Key findings included:
- Among households that had experienced a major emergency, when asked about a future emergency, 59.3% had an exit plan, 32.6% were unwilling to evacuate their home, 23.4% had a household member who may be called upon to assist in an emergency and 17.8% had an agreed place to meet. In contrast, among households that had not experienced a major emergency, the proportions were 45.4%, 9.6%, 8.1% and 9.8% respectively.
- Almost one in five (19.0% or 155,300) WA households indicated that some members would need help to get out of their dwellings. The biggest demand for exit assistance came from households with at least one child under 15 years of age where half (52.8% or 118,300), were dependent on assistance if dwelling evacuation was required.
- Some households may require transport assistance to leave the area of an emergency. In WA, 24.6% (201,700) of households said they would require some form of transport assistance. This level of demand was similar throughout the state.
- Most Western Australians get their drinking water from reticulated mains supply. During a major emergency this source may be cut–off or contaminated. Survival may depend on having available potable drinking water. Householders were asked how much water they had stored in bottles, containers or tanks. Overall, 30.1% (246,100) of WA households had no stored drinking water, 30.2% had between 1 to less than 5 litres and 18.2% had 20 litres or more.
- In an emergency, cooking facilities and electricity may not be available. Having emergency food, i.e. food that does not need cooking or refrigeration, could be essential for survival. About one in three (35.9% or 293,600) households had enough emergency food to last 1–3 days, 26.8% had enough to last 7–14 days, 23.6% had 4–6 days supply and 6.2% had supplies for more than 14 days. In 7.2% of households no emergency food was stored.
- Overall, 53.3% (436,200) of households in WA reported that they had pets that would need evacuation in the event of a major emergency
- In WA, 89.3% (731,600) of households had a landline telephone connection comprising 32.6% with a cordless handset, 20.8% with a fixed handset and 35.9% with both types of handsets.
The publications title was 4818.5 - Community Preparedness for Emergencies, and is available here.
In a recent speech to ASIO's Overseas Liaison Officers, who manage the 311 liaison relationships with foreign intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies in 120 countries, the Director-General noted the as a result of the Street Review, changes have been made to the national security arrangements.
The Street Review was an internal Review of Interoperability between the Australian Federal Police and its National Security Partners, conducted by Sir Laurence Street QC. As a result of the Street review,
- a heads of agency forum comprising the AFP Commissioner, the Director-General of ASIO and the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions has been established;
- a Joint Operations Protocols for ASIO/AFP interaction will be formalised, and
- ASIO officers have been attached to the AFP Melbourne and Sydney Joint Counter-Terrorism teams.
There are several AFP-specific recommendations that the AFP will implement, and these include:
- the adoption and adherence to national security standards in CT investigations;
- the development of a national security standard integrated information technology system; and
- the installation of desktop security telephones in appropriately secure common work areas.
The Director-General noted that there were two very clear messages that should take from the Street and other reviews.
“The first is that the Government has a very strong expectation that all members of the AIC are working together, and with other parts of government, effectively; and that we are doing everything we can to share information and coordinate capabilities appropriately, both in Australian and overseas. The second is that the Government has a very strong expectation that in fulfilling our functions, we are conducting ourselves accountably within the legal and administrative frameworks in which we work, and to which we are subject - again, both onshore and offshore.”
The full speech is available here .
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) Investigative Service headquarters was opened in Canberra this month. The establishment of the integrated ADF Investigative Service is a major outcome of the 2005 Senate inquiry into military justice.
The ADF Investigative Service brings together around 150 specialist policing personnel from the Navy, Army and Air Force, and provides the ADF with the capability to undertake complex and more serious disciplinary and criminal investigations, within Australia and on military deployments overseas. ADF investigators are highly skilled and undertake training and secondments with a number of agencies, including the Australian Federal Police and State and Territory police forces.
ADF investigators are currently deployed on operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Timor- Leste and the Solomon Islands ready to undertake timely investigations and preserve evidence as the need arises. A Major Incident Team is also on standby to travel at short notice to augment the deployed investigative capability in the event of a serious military incident in Australia or overseas.
The Transport Minister has agreed to provide more than $92,000 from the Regional Airport Funding Program for projects that will strengthen security at Burnie Airport and Illawarra Regional Airport.
The following have now been approved:
- More than $85,000 for the installation of a new Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) system at Burnie Airport; and
- $6,700 to upgrade of security fencing at Illawarra Regional Airport.
Last year more than 87,000 passengers passed through Burnie Airport and more than 15,000 arrived at or departed from Illawarra Regional Airport. These numbers are expected to grow in the years ahead.
Australia Partners with East Timor on Aviation Security
Australian and East Timor will be working in partnership to improve aviation security in the region.
The Australian Government will invest $100,000 in the East Timor Aviation Security Project to provide training for more than 250 East Timorese airport and aviation security officials.
The East Timor Aviation Security Project is expected to improve aviation security skills in areas such as passenger and baggage screening, as well as helping East Timor strengthen its aviation security laws and regulations.
Australian Government transport security experts are proposed to work on the ground with their East Timorese counterparts at Dili Airport and within the East Timor Department of Civil Aviation.
According the Transport Minister the project is designed to provide a foundation for further aviation security work, assisting in developing East Timor's aviation industry.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has now launched its community policing presence at Gold Coast Airport by welcoming seven new officers to its ranks.
The Queensland Police Service officers join the AFP on secondment for two years, fulfilling the role of Airport Uniformed Police.
They bring to 10 the number of AFP officers who will provide a 24-hour policing presence at the airport in addition to other AFP resources.
Gold Coast Airport Police Commander Paul Jones said the new officers would deter criminality at the airport by providing a stronger community policing presence.
Including the new additions, the AFP has Airport Uniformed Police at 11 Australian airports, including Brisbane and Cairns, responding to general policing issues, looking after border security, carrying out criminal investigations and providing support to the AFP's Counter Terrorist First Response (CTFR) units.
Jones mentioned that as the amount of traffic through Australia's airports increases, these additional resources will help to improve security and provide a highly visible police presence.
The Airport Uniformed Police are part of the Federal Government's Unified Policing Model (UPM), established with the support of the Council of Australian Governments after the 2005 Wheeler Review into airport security and policing.
Micronesia Regional National Crime Unit in Pacific
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has joined the fight against transnational crime in the Asia Pacific region with the opening of the Micronesia Regional Transnational Crime Unit (TCU).
The Micronesia Regional TCU is a joint initiative between Australia, the United States and the Federated States of Micronesia.
The unit is the sixth to open in the Pacific region, and is linked to a network of existing TCUs in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.
AFP Manager of the International Network Paul Osborne said the TCU network allows law enforcement agencies to share intelligence, and to profile and target transnational crime groups operating across the region.
Osborne stated that the fight against transnational crime requires a collaborative partnerships and effective law enforcement intelligence.
The AFP’s engagement in the Pacific is focused on long-term capacity building, and addressing issues such as
- The transportation of narcotics
- People smuggling
- Child sex tourism
- Transnational sex exploitation.
Crime-fighting Design School Established
A research centre for producing industrial and urban designs to thwart crime has been set up at the University of Technology, Sydney.
NSW Attorney General John Hatzistergos said the “Designing Out Crime Research Centre” will open in coming months and bring together experts in criminology and design to develop new concepts and products for reducing and preventing crime.
Mr Hatzistergos said some of the of the design centre’s ideas included:
- The “Text Message Bomb” – a message sent by police after the owner of a mobile phone complained it had been lost or stolen. The message is designed to destroy the phone’s micro-chip so the phone is rendered useless to whoever has possession of it.
- The “Safety Catch” – which appears to the untrained eye as a fashionable bracelet but when broken a distress signal is sent out. The bracelet can be worn by police or others doing dangerous jobs.
Mr Hatzistergos mentioned that the centre will be located within the university’s Design, Architecture and Building Faculty and will also include academics from the university’s law school and its prestigious Institute for Sustainable Futures.
The centre will report regularly on its progress directly to the Attorney General’s Department, the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research and the NSW Police Force, and will be evaluated by government after three years.
For the first time since 2002, the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, announced on 9 June 2008, did not include any awards based on the person’s contribution to counter terrorism, critical infrastructure or non-defence related national security.
The final report of the 2020 Summit has been released. The section on “Australia’s future security and prosperity in a rapidly changing region and world” had a number of findings and recommendations relevant to national security. Below are selected highlights.
The group considered that we need to broaden our concept of ‘security’ to encompass a range of non-military challenges to our economic, social and environmental security. The challenges were diverse—pandemics, climate change, resources (food, water and energy), transnational crime and terrorism, natural disasters, and maintaining critical services for sustainable cities. In the face of these challenges it was necessary to build individual and community resilience. A high-level, independent community advisory body should be established to advise the government on the new threats. Australia should develop its smart power capacity. A White Paper on policing and law enforcement should be commissioned. Additionally the group believed Australia needed evidence-based management systems informed by economic, social and environmental sustainability indicators.
One of the five key themes of this stream was to broaden the concept of security to encompass a range of emerging non- military challenges. This includes:
- Establish a PM’s high-level independent advisory commission on new threats.
- Develop our "smart power" capacity (innovation and creativity) underpinned by evidence-based management (economic and social sustainability indicators).
- A comprehensive national plan on foreign policy which incorporates soft power.
A broader conception of security to encompass a range of emerging non-military challenges
Participants noted that when Australia’s national security was discussed there was a tendency to see it in offshore terms, but national security also involves fostering secure communities within the country. Issues existed around the harmonisation of structures and the relationships between agencies. Better information and intelligence sharing were required between policing and intelligence agencies, which would assist in better informed decisions about resource allocation. Issues surrounding how those agencies should engage the community and how the diversity of communities could be harnessed needed to be addressed.
It was suggested that there was a lack of policy coherence in responding to the challenges posed by food, energy, water and health security, and sustainability in the face of climate change. Any solution should involve integration of policies and agencies’ efforts to fast-track clean energy development and deployment regionally, starting with the Pacific island countries.
Finally, it was noted that there was a need for greater analytical and predictive capacity. The knowledge base needs to be broadened, and a policy advisory committee could include representatives of the business and scientific community. Another participant argued that greater effort was needed to develop knowledge of water and energy security needs in Australia as a step towards overcoming ‘short-termism’ and achieving a focus on long-term objectives.
Following further discussion of these ideas and incorporating views from earlier discussions, participants summarised their thoughts and came up with targeted ideas for achieving their objectives.
Ideas
- National harmonisation.
- Uniform criminal legislation is required to cut through lack of consistency and harmony.
- Remove overlapping law enforcement expertise to achieve economies of scale and harness innovative technologies to drive reform.
- The National Security Committee of Cabinet should exercise leadership to push for meaningful, real information and intelligence data sharing.
- Create resilient and harmonious domestic communities.
- Community security should be re-balanced to support soft power and domestic security capacity.
- Consideration of a community security White Paper should be placed on the Council of Australian Governments agenda.
- A working group involving 2020 Summit members and other experts should be established to work on progressing the White Paper idea.
- Introduce a new approach to foreign policy that uses ‘smart power’ to address new security issues in a collaborative way.
- Integrate policies and agencies’ efforts to fast-track clean development and deployment, informed by a coherent plan, starting in the region.
- New research and analytical capabilities are required on non-traditional security threats.
- Establish a high-level advisory council with balanced representation from industry and the scientific, public and academic communities to advise the Prime Minister and Cabinet on emerging security issues and policy options.
- Assess Australia’s maritime area to inform long-term management and planning.
- Improve the analytical ability of agencies using evidence-based management systems to develop and monitor sustainability and other indicators related to energy, water and food security.
- Innovation in Australia and AusAID should help Australia’s neighbours meet the challenges of food production in a world dealing with climate change.
Other ideas included
- Through the Council of Australian Governments and the Police Ministers Council, in 2020 agreement has been sought with state governments to develop a strategic preparedness report, which would ensure that Australian households were better prepared for an increased occurrence of natural disasters. By 2020 state and federal barriers to coordinated disaster management have been removed.
- By 2020 Emergency Management Australia has become a Council of Australian Governments agency.
A copy of Australia’s Future in the World can be found here.
The Coercive Information-gathering Powers of Agencies report by the Administrative Review Council has tabled in Parliament by the Attorney-General.
The report focuses on the powers granted to Government agencies for compelling the provision of information, the production of documents, and the answering of questions.
It considers the use of these powers with specific reference to the legislation and practices of Centrelink, Medicare Australia, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, the Australian Taxation Office and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
Mr. Clelland has stated that the new report highlights the significance of coercive powers as administrative and regulatory tools for government.
Examples of recommended best practice include:
- agencies should consider alternative means of obtaining information before using coercive information-gathering powers;
- coercive information-gathering powers should only be delegated to sufficiently senior and experienced officers in an agency;
- coercive information-gathering notices should comply with privacy legislation and inform recipients of their rights in relation to privilege.
The report is available here.
A Report of the inquiry into last year’s equine influenza outbreak has been released outlining the recommendations as conducted by the Hon. Ian Callinan AC, along with the Federal Government’s response. The Government has agreed to all 38 of Commissioner Callinan’s recommendations. Commissioner Callinan concluded that the virus ‘probably’ came into Australia in August 2007, via horses from Japan. He was unable to make a precise finding as to how the virus entered the general horse population, or of direct liability or culpability, but found the virus was most likely carried on a contaminated person or equipment leaving Eastern Creek Quarantine Station.
The Commission made no findings on legal liability. His report identified a number of matters involving the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) and the horse industry which may have contributed to the outbreak.
A number of the Commissioner’s recommendations will be implemented immediately, including:
- Appoint a new Inspector General of Horse Importation, reporting to the Minister, to inspect and audit quarantine facilities for horses to be exported to Australia (both international and domestic);
- Make a senior officer of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry responsible for the importation of horses into Australia; and
- Improve operating procedures for the clearance and quarantine of horses.
Other recommendations to be implemented after further investigation include:
- Horses to be tested for equine influenza both before travelling to Australia and while still in quarantine after arrival;
- Review biosecurity policies for horses and carry out an import risk analysis;
- Reassess importation conditions for horses applied by AQIS;
- Review pre-export, airport and quarantine station facilities;
- Review fees charged for the export of horses to Australia, looking at the cost of quarantine, auditing and risk factors.
According to preliminary estimates, it will cost around $1.3 million to implement the recommendations and Government will consult with industry sectors in their implementation.
A copy of the report can be found here.
Australia and New Zealand Customs have committed to a series of initiatives that will further streamline security, travel and trade between the two countries.
The Minister for Home Affairs, Bob Debus, said Australian and NZ Customs were involved in a data sharing pilot that could ultimately allow Trans-Tasman traders to submit a single data entry to both Customs administrations simultaneously. This would allow for earlier and more accurate receipt of data by Customs and for reduced compliance costs and time-savings for industry.
The countries also committed to enhance border security through more effective cooperation targeting criminal networks, maritime security threats and intellectual property theft.
Customs are now working on joint intelligence and investigation responses to identified border risks, including those posed by criminal networks common to both countries.
Mr Debus said Australian and NZ Customs would shortly sign an agreement to formalise a cooperative relationship between Border Protection Command and the National Maritime Coordination Centre in New Zealand.
CrimTrac has taken out the 2008 e-Award for Excellence in e-Government.
The e-Award is administered by the Australian Government Information Management Office and was introduced to promote excellence in the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in Australia at all levels of government.
CrimTrac had been recognised for its National Police Reference System (NPRS) an electronic program that enables police and law enforcement agencies to exchange information and access people’s background across all jurisdictions. It allows police to determine whether individuals are a threat to the public or wanted by police.
Previously, police have maintained information within jurisdictional boundaries using different systems, but the NPRS addresses the problem of offenders moving interstate to avoid detection. NPRS provides information critical to the day to day duties of community policing, supporting police with richer data on persons of interest than was previously available.
In 2009, when NPRS has been rolled out across the country, it will have more than 50,000 users, with all police officers in the country having access.
A new regulation has been passed which will ban the importation of high intensity laser pointers. Thew law will make it an offence to import high powered lasers without a permit. It means anyone seeking to import a laser pointer stronger than 1mW will have to have an appropriate exemption, which will work in the same way as for other restricted goods. Hwever for the ban to be truly effective, the States and Territories have to establish uniform national laws to support the new Commonwealth controls. Mr Debus has written to Police ministers calling on them to put in place legislation which imposes fines and jail terms for possessing pointers above 1mW without an appropriate exemption. The ban will take effect on 1 July 2008 and is also on the agenda for the national police minister’s meeting on 13 June. The new regulation will allow legitimate users including surveyors, the construction and mining industries and astronomers to apply for an exemption from the ban. Mr Debus said importers would have to obtain police authorisation from the relevant state or territory police force prior to applying for an import permit. Customs will also work with known importers and user group representatives to make sure they’re aware of and can access the new permit based import process.
“We are all aware that there are high numbers of these devices already in the community, which is why the Government will work with relevant agencies to develop an education campaign. I am confident we can get national cooperation on this – hundreds of aircraft across Australia are targeted every year and we need to work together to reduce the number of incidents.
The Minister for Defence has launched the Defence White Paper Community Consultation Program and released a public discussion paper ‘Key Questions for Defence in the 21st Century’.
The public discussion paper is expected to help generate ideas and expand the public debate about Defence and security as well as informing and encouraging discussion among interested members of the general public as well as the wider Defence community. It will also encourage consideration of the aspects of Defence business and more general Defence policy.
Additional members of the Community Consultation Panel who will manage the consultation program consist of Rear Admiral Simon Harrington (Retd), Professor Tanya Monro and Mr Peter Collins to join Chair Mr Stephen Loosley and Deputy Chair Mr Arthur Sinodinos as members of the Defence White Paper Community Consultation Panel.
The public discussion paper and program of consultation activities can be accessed here.
- Neighbourhood Watch: The evolving terrorist threat in Southeast Asia. This publication by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute will be launched on the 25 June 2008. The report is written by Dr Carl Ungerer and Dr Peter Chalk. Both authors will be speaking at the Safeguarding Australia conference on 24-25 July 2008.
- Policing our ocean domain: Establishing an Australian coast guard. This publication by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) was written by Derek Woolner. The report calls for the establishment of a new statutory authority, the Australian Coast Guard, out of the current Border Protection Command that is directly responsible to a Minister for the assessment of intelligence, planning and implementation of operations and future improvements to maritime border security. The report is available here.
- Taking a Punch: Building a More Resilient Australia. This publication by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute was written by David Templeman and Anthony Bergin focuses on the cost of natural disasters and of the new challenges of emergency management that must be met by Governments at all levels. The ASPI paper also questions the standards of Australia’s hospital system, and its ability to cope with large scale emergency situations. The report is available here.
- Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan, Seth G. Jones. RAND, 2008 (177 pages). The report is available here.
- The Changing Nature of State Sponsorship of Terrorism. By Daniel L. Byman. Brookings Institution, May 2008. The report is available here.
- The Maritime Dimension of International Security: Terrorism, Piracy, and Challenges for the United States. By Peter Chalk. RAND, 2008. The report is available here.
- Energy in Danger: Iran, Oil, and the West. By Simon Henderson. Washington Institute for Near East Policy, June 2008. The report is available here.
- Protecting Building Occupants from Biological Threats. The Center for Biosecurity of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) has launched a new website that includes useful information about biological threats to building occupants, practical steps for reducing risk, and costs and benefits of risk reduction measures, along with a wealth of related materials and additional resources. Information is here.
Safeguarding Australia Conference: The 7th Homeland Security Conference & Exposition
23 & 24 July, 2008. Information here.
The Third Workshop on Social Implications of National Security will be held over two mornings during the Safeguarding Australia 2008 Conference. The Workshop will run on 23 and 24 July from 9:15 to 3:00. Information is here
24th July 2008, Hotel Realm, Canberra
In today's world, knowledge of modern protective structures is vital. This workshop will provide participants with a valuable overview of the research projects conducted in this area in Australia. The leading researchers in Australia will be presenting their research during the forum. There will be a special presentation which will allow the participants an insight into the issues associated with load assessment, response analysis, available tools and factors that must be addressed in developing a successful blast resistant building design. Prof. Andrew Whittaker, a leading researcher in USA will discuss the present research related to blast resistant design in USA. Information is here.
This workshop aims to continue previous efforts by the RNSA to build a network of PhD researchers and match PhD researchers with national security staff who may be interested in their work. The workshop will be held over two mornings during the Safeguarding Australia 2008 (SA 08) Conference in Canberra from 9.15am - 12.40pm each day.
Workshop delegates are also invited to attend the SA 08 Conference stream - "National Security Policy Research" - in the second half of both days. Information is here.
The management of an exercise requires appropriate skills, knowledge and tools. This course addresses the
core components needed to manage a well planned and executed exercise. The knowledge acquired from
this course will provide a practical framework to test security, emergency and contingency plans as well as
pandemic and business continuity plans.
The aim of this course is to provide participants with the knowledge and tools to manage all aspects of an
exercise, whether it is a drill, desk-top exercise, simulation or operational exercise.
The course is on Wednesday 30 July at the Australian International Affairs Building in Deakin, Canberra. Download the brochure here. Online booking is available here.
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