Terror plot to bring down plane from Sydney leads to $300m budget boost to Australian national security
NATIONAL security has been bolstered by $300 million after a near successful plot to bring down a flight from Sydney last year, with Peter Dutton labelling terrorism in Australia a ‘very real, disturbing danger’.
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A TERROR plot to bring down an airline over Australian skies last July has led to a significant $300 million budget boost to Australian national security on land, sea and air including more troops to deploy to air hubs and tighter passenger security screening.
The newly created Home Affairs super ministry has flagged a dozen new security initiatives including airport screening upgrades, offshore crime fighting operations, more spies, advances to postal and cargo screening and CCTV cameras in our communities.
The alleged plot to bring down an Etihad plane flying out of Sydney Airport en route to Dubai last July has been cited as behind the almost $300 million budget boost over four years.
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The plot involving explosives packed into a meat grinder and a Barbie doll being carried as hand luggage onto the airline flight is seen as the closest Australia has ever come to a successful terrorist attack and was detected largely only through luck. Investigations are continuing and at least three people are expected to face court.
Airports and aviation security tops the package with $121.9 million for the deployment of 140 additional Australian Federal Police counter terrorist first response officers and 50 intelligence agents at nine major domestic and international airports.
About the same amount over four years is also to be spent on new screening technology at air cargo and international postal operations at Clyde in Sydney’s west, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
More than $50 million worth of upgrades to aviation security will also be seen at 64 regional airports across the country, the exact locations of which cannot be detailed for security reasons. These upgrades will include body scanners and advanced xray screening machines.
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton last night also flagged he would push for new “move on” laws to boost AFP powers at air hubs as well as legislation to back more thorough identity checks.
“These terrorist plots showed a very real and disturbing danger,” Mr Dutton said of the July plot which he branded as sophisticated, unprecedented and had changed the national security environment.
He added: “These initiatives will ensure Australia remains a trusted destination for trade and travel and a world leader in aviation security.”
Also new from this year will be a dedicated budget to fight crime overseas through the expansion of the Australian Border Force Airline Liaison Officers program, deploying officers to 19 offshore airports for better passenger screening; in the past five years 1000 passengers attempted to enter Australia as either an impostor, on a fact passport or as a security threat.
The overall security budget boost is to be funded from a forecasted $256.3 million of efficiency gains and cuts from within the new department, ironically with an additional $7 million budgeted to look at where to find the savings that are expected to be seen through efficiencies in reducing duplication from the merged Home Affairs agencies, economies of scale procurement savings and staff rationalisation.
Our overseas Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) spies will also receive a funding boost although how much cannot be discussed for national security reasons.
It is known however that ASIS has significantly lifted operations out of the Middle East, with significant new deployments working out of allied countries in the region notably Jordan. Domestic partner ASIO will get $24.4 million in funding.
The government also plans to establish an anti slavery child exploitation unit and under its Safer Communities Fund, $30 million made available to identified councils for CCTV, better street lighting and bollard security with the moneys coming from criminal asset seizures.