Ms LAWRIE - 2004-02-26
Sadly,international terrorism now concerns us all. Can you please outline how the government will participate in a counter-terrorism exercise to be conducted in the Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is an important question for the Territory. It is a sad fact of life that we have to pay attention to the threat of global terrorism. This government has already reacted – and we have seen that very clearly over the last two years – to increased concerns about terrorism. We have established the Counter-Terrorism Unit in our Police Force; we have assisted in the purchase of biohazard equipment, and, in this House, we have past stringent laws to assist police deal with potential or possible terrorist events.
On a national level, there are revised arrangements for countering terrorism in this country, including an expanded exercise program, aimed at all states and territories testing and developing their capacity and capability to respond to a possible terrorist incident. This exercise program includes multi-state exercises, which are designed to test and develop arrangements, both within those states and territories, and between them and the federal government.
The first multi-jurisdictional exercise to be conducted in this expanded program is called Exercise Mercury 04. The formal aim of the exercise is to identify how Australia will respond to preventing, responding to and recovering from simulated threats and acts of terrorism occurring in different states and territories at the same time. Mercury 04 will involve four states and territories: our Territory, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania, as well as the federal government and a number of its agencies. The exercise will include the deployment of the Australian Defence Force Tactical Assault Group. It will also involve the Police Tactical Response Groups from Victoria, Tasmania and the territories, working in their own state or territory.
The National Counter-Terrorism Committee has set aside more than $1m, so they are taking this exercise very seriously. An Exercise Planning Group has been formed, and teams from each state and territory are developing scenarios based on a simulated common national terrorist threat.
In the Territory, the exercise will require police and government involvement. The Police Emergency Operations Centre and the Northern Territory Crisis Centre will be fully involved and fully operational during Mercury 04. The exercise will be conducted in the Top End between 22 and 29 March. It is an important exercise. It shows that, on a national level, the states, territories and federal government are working together to make sure that we know how to deal with and respond to a possible terrorist threat.
As government, we recognise the importance of having that coordinated approach and ensuring, although we never want it to happen again, that a global threat from terrorism will be dealt with adequately and effectively in Australia and the Territory.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is an important question for the Territory. It is a sad fact of life that we have to pay attention to the threat of global terrorism. This government has already reacted – and we have seen that very clearly over the last two years – to increased concerns about terrorism. We have established the Counter-Terrorism Unit in our Police Force; we have assisted in the purchase of biohazard equipment, and, in this House, we have past stringent laws to assist police deal with potential or possible terrorist events.
On a national level, there are revised arrangements for countering terrorism in this country, including an expanded exercise program, aimed at all states and territories testing and developing their capacity and capability to respond to a possible terrorist incident. This exercise program includes multi-state exercises, which are designed to test and develop arrangements, both within those states and territories, and between them and the federal government.
The first multi-jurisdictional exercise to be conducted in this expanded program is called Exercise Mercury 04. The formal aim of the exercise is to identify how Australia will respond to preventing, responding to and recovering from simulated threats and acts of terrorism occurring in different states and territories at the same time. Mercury 04 will involve four states and territories: our Territory, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania, as well as the federal government and a number of its agencies. The exercise will include the deployment of the Australian Defence Force Tactical Assault Group. It will also involve the Police Tactical Response Groups from Victoria, Tasmania and the territories, working in their own state or territory.
The National Counter-Terrorism Committee has set aside more than $1m, so they are taking this exercise very seriously. An Exercise Planning Group has been formed, and teams from each state and territory are developing scenarios based on a simulated common national terrorist threat.
In the Territory, the exercise will require police and government involvement. The Police Emergency Operations Centre and the Northern Territory Crisis Centre will be fully involved and fully operational during Mercury 04. The exercise will be conducted in the Top End between 22 and 29 March. It is an important exercise. It shows that, on a national level, the states, territories and federal government are working together to make sure that we know how to deal with and respond to a possible terrorist threat.
As government, we recognise the importance of having that coordinated approach and ensuring, although we never want it to happen again, that a global threat from terrorism will be dealt with adequately and effectively in Australia and the Territory.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016