Australias-Counter-Terrorism-Strategy-2015

Australia may also contribute to internationalmilitary efforts to destroy or degrade majorterrorist capabilities. Over the last decade,elements of the Australian Defence Force(ADF) have been deployed in Afghanistan andIraq for this purpose.4. Disrupting terrorist activity withinAustraliaOur law enforcement and intelligenceagencies are well-equipped to disrupt terroristactivity. They have a good history of disruptingnumerous terrorist plots. Low-capability andlimited-preparation attacks such as knifeattacks present a challenge to police andintelligence agencies because they involvelittle or no lead time, making them difficult todetect. Given the absolute focus on savinglives, agencies will prioritise early disruptionof a planned attack over waiting to gatherfurther evidence for a successful prosecution.Early disruption is also used to stop activitiesthat support or facilitate terrorism, but whichmay fall short of specific attack planning.There are a range of methods that can beused to send a message to individuals thattheir activities have attracted the attention ofauthorities in an attempt to dissuade themfrom further action.5. Effective response and recoveryIf an attack does occur, we have robustarrangements in place to respond to any actof terrorism, from low-preparation tocoordinated multi-jurisdiction mass-casualtyattacks.States and Territories lead the response to anyattacks within their jurisdictions. They canrequest assistance from other States,Territories or the Commonwealth as required.States and Territories may also ask for the ADFto provide specialist skills or equipment toassist in response and recovery. State andTerritory police and the Australian FederalPolice (AFP) are highly trained andwell-equipped to respond to a terrorist attack.Our police are skilled in investigation,negotiation, tactical response, defusingexplosives, crisis management and hostagerecovery, enabling effective responses toterrorist attacks across all jurisdictions. Ouremergency response and health services arealso well-prepared to respond to any terroristincident.Australian governments work closely withcritical infrastructure and key serviceproviders, including electricity, gas, water andtransport utilities, to reduce the impact of anyterrorist attack on such facilities and services.In the event of a terrorist attack, we will workcalmly and efficiently to bring the perpetratorsto justice and to ensure that we can all returnto our everyday activities with confidence. Arange of government agencies and communityorganisations are prepared to assist thecommunity in an effective recovery.Governance and accountabilityCountering terrorism is a responsibility sharedby all Australian governments, the communityand the private sector.The dynamic nature of the terrorist threat,and the rapid growth of home-grown and loneactor elements, demands rigorous monitoringand assessment to ensure our arrangementsremain properly targeted and implemented.To this end, Australia’s nationalcounter-terrorism coordinating body, theAustralia-New Zealand Counter-TerrorismCommittee (ANZCTC), meets regularly tomonitor and assess the effectiveness ofcounter-terrorism arrangements. The ANZCTCreports to the Council of AustralianGovernments (COAG) annually.vii | AUSTRALIA’S COUNTER-TERRORISM STRATEGY