Communiqués
National Counter Terrorism Committee
8 December 2004, Melbourne
Bi-annual meeting
The bi-annual meeting of the National Counter-Terrorism Committee (the Committee), co-chaired by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet, was hosted by the Victorian Government in Melbourne on 7-8 December 2004. The meeting was attended by senior representatives from the Australian and State and Territory Governments and Police. New Zealand officials attended the meeting as observers.
The Committee noted briefings from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the Office of National Assessments and the Australian Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism. The Committee noted that the national counter-terrorism alert level remained at Medium - a terrorist attack in Australia could occur. There is a continued need for vigilance and a nationally consistent and coordinated approach to counter-terrorism arrangements. The Committee considered a range of important issues and initiatives to further strengthen these arrangements.
The protection of critical infrastructure continues to be a priority. In June 2004, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed that the National Counter-Terrorism Committee should consult industry on the development of guidelines for the protection of critical infrastructure from terrorism. This consultation is complete and the Committee agreed to refer the draft guidelines to COAG for final consideration.
The Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games will be the largest sporting event to be held in Australia since the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Noting that security planning for the Games is well advanced, the Committee received a briefing on the wider, non-security planning aspects for the Games from the Executive Director of the Office of Commonwealth Games Coordination. A multi-jurisdictional counter-terrorism exercise, to be held in late 2005, will test security arrangements for the Games. The Committee was also briefed on plans for Australia to host the Asia Pacific Economic Forum (APEC) in 2007, and noted that security arrangements will form a significant component of these plans.
The Committee noted a briefing from the Department of Transport and Regional Services on aviation, maritime and land transport security issues, including progress towards implementing expanded security measures at regional airports by the 10 March 2005 deadline. The Committee noted progress in developing the Inter-Governmental Agreement on Surface Transport Security and that the draft agreement will be referred to COAG for consideration. The Committee agreed to expand the mandate of the working group on national spatial information for national security to encompass counter-terrorism, emergency management and critical infrastructure protection. The working group will coordinate a national approach to the development of spatial information capabilities, working closely with the Australia New Zealand Land Information Council (ANZLIC).
The Committee endorsed a strategic framework for the development of a nation-wide operational counter-terrorism capability, to consolidate guidance and priorities previously agreed by Australian governments and building on existing counter-terrorism capabilities, including emergency management capabilities. The Committee also considered a range of initiatives to further strengthen the ability of Australian governments to communicate and exchange information in a crisis. The Australian Health Disaster Management Policy Committee also provided a progress report to the Committee.
Australian governments have made significant progress towards implementing the principles for the regulation of ammonium nitrate, agreed by COAG in June 2004. The Committee noted that the principles would come into effect in all jurisdictions by 30 June 2005. The Committee also considered the progress of the COAG review of hazardous materials and agreed to the development of an agreed process for the completion of the review, incorporating a strategy for comprehensive consultation with industry and other stakeholders. The Science, Engineering and Technology Unit of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet also provided a briefing on their ongoing program of research activities to support Australia's counter-terrorism arrangements.
The Committee approved a framework for Australian Government and State and Territory Government agencies responsible for public information activities relating to national security. The Committee also approved the revised National Counter-Terrorism Handbook, incorporating lessons learnt from the multi-jurisdictional counter-terrorism exercise, Mercury '04, held earlier this year.
