National Counter-Terrorism Arrangements and National Counter-Terrorism Plan

Our security environment has changed dramatically in recent years. The 2002 and 2005 Bali bombings and the attack on our embassy in Jakarta in 2004 have served as a timely reminder that Australia faces regional terror threats. The terrorist attacks in London and Madrid illustrated not only the threat posed to Australian citizens internationally but highlighted the possibility of an attack here in Australia.

Australia’s response to the threat of terrorism involves every level of government. This approach stems from an understanding that national security is not a simply policy problem. Terrorists rely on surprise to achieve their aims and present a constantly changing threat.

The Australian response to terrorism combines the creation of effective laws and collection of intelligence, with national defence, law enforcement, aviation and maritime security, border control, protective security, preventative health measures, emergency response and consequence managing, the protection of public and private infrastructure, planning and testing responses and enhancing national and international co-operation.

History

Following the Hilton Hotel Bombing in Sydney in 1978, the then-Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, announced the establishment of a committee which would include Commonwealth and State/Territory agencies whose principal aim would be to establish a set of national arrangements and agreements to respond to threats or acts of politically motivated violence. The Standing Advisory Committee on Commonwealth/State Cooperation for Protection Against Violence (SAC-PAV) held its first meeting in February 1979.

The National Counter-Terrorism Committee The National Counter-Terrorism Committee (NCTC) was established by the Inter-Governmental Agreement 24 October signed by the Prime Minister, Premiers and Chief Ministers on 24 October 2002, and held its first meeting on 13-15 November 2002. The role of the NCTC is to contribute to the security of the Australian community through coordination of a nation-wide cooperative framework to counter terrorism and its consequences. The committee now meets twice a year and is comprised of representatives from the Australian Government and State and Territory Governments.

The Australian Government is represented by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Chair), the Attorney-General's Department, the Department of Transport and Regional Services, the Australian Federal Police, ASIO, the Department of Defence, the Department of Finance and Administration, Emergency Management Australia and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. State and territory representatives include senior officials of the Premiers' and Chief Ministers' departments, and deputy police commissioners. Senior New Zealand representatives attend the meetings as observers.

The objectives of the NCTC are to contribute to the security of the Australian community through:

• maintaining the National Counter-Terrorism Plan (NCTP) and associated documentation;
• providing expert strategic and policy advice to heads of government and other relevant ministers;
• coordinating an effective nation-wide counter-terrorism capability;
• maintaining effective arrangements for the sharing of relevant intelligence and information between all relevant agencies and jurisdictions and;
• providing advice in relation to the administration of the special fund to maintain and develop the nation-wide capability, administered by the Australian Government on the basis of advice from the NCTC.