Cyber Security Frontline
Australia’s 2018 Budget Security Industry Wrap-up By Fiona Wade Canberra Correspondent
34 | Asia Pacific Security Magazine
T
he 2018 Australian Federal Budget was never going to be a dazzler. And true to the predictions of many political pundits, it was indeed targeted towards relieving some of the pressures on middle Australia. With government’s focus clearing towards the next election, it really is no wonder that tax cuts and aged care has taken centre stage of the post Budget rhetoric. On national security, Government has been decidedly quiet. Maybe it’s because this year’s Budget was a bit light on comparatively speaking. That said, a handy $294 million has been ear-marked to: “strengthen security at airports, international mail centres and air cargo facilities over four years as part of new initiatives.” These measures are a direct result, according to Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton, of the planned terror attacks thwarted by the authorities last year, which were unprecedented, sophisticated and represented a significant change in the national security environment. “These terrorist plots showed a very real and disturbing danger,” Mr Dutton said in his 2018 Budget media release. “The Government and industry responded immediately to disrupt and contain the threat, increasing law enforcement and strengthening security screening”, he said. Airports, a preferred target for terrorists, are often considered soft targets, with many security experts, pilots and unions warning that regional airports are the most vulnerable. This Budget aims to alleviate fears that regional airports are the ‘weak link’ in the country’s security with over 50 million specially for upgrading security in regional airports.
While the Government has pledged to provide $6.9 million over two years to continue the work of the Australian Border Force Airline Liaison Officers (ALOs) at 19 key overseas international airports, back at home there will be a further $121.6 million over four years to support sophisticated new screening technology for passengers, baggage and cargo. They have also signalled the need for an additional 140 AFP Counter Terrorist First Response officers to be based at airports and a further 50 officers to provide tactical intelligence and other support at an additional cost of $122 million. There is a question over whether this will mean that the government will restore a permanent presence of AFP officers at Hobart airport, following their withdrawal in 2014 and which, according to the state police union, has put pressure on police. But it is the announcement of funding for the National Criminal Intelligence System (NCIS) that has people in the policing and security sector smiling. Providing frontline police with the information and intelligence needed to combat crime and disrupt the terrorism threat, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) will now be able to begin the basic build of NCIS and prove its worth beyond a shadow of a doubt thanks to the Budget allocation of $59.1 million over four years. According to a departmental spokesperson: “This commitment by Government will fund the partner connectivity, that will allow the linking of all the states into a system that is fundamentally aligned to the safety of police officers across the country.” Not that the police across the country have any doubt