Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, , 5:19:35 to 5:25:04
Findings from a review into the leadership, integration, and information-sharing systems of Joint Counter-Terrorism Teams (JCTTs) across various Australian jurisdictions.
Topics: National security, Public safety
Speakers: Brendan Dowling, Hon Jonathon Duniam, Senator Jana Stewart
Okay. All right. Um with regard to the uh the review of the joint counterterrorism team's leadership integration systems access and information sharing. Has that review been completed?
It has been completed. Um from memory, we received the Final review on the 16th of October. So a couple of weeks ago.
And are there any key findings you're able to enlighten us about out of that review?
Sure. So the review the intention is not to make the review public. It has been shared with all jurisdictions and relevant agencies who have an equity in the joint counterterrorism teams. The first is that the joint counter-terrorism teams remain and are the core operational capability for counter-terrorism efforts in this country. So the review affirmed that they are necessary, that they are working, that they have successfully been involved in dozens of disruptions over the time that they have been in effect. So at their core they are functional and critical capability. Some of the areas for recommendations go to variability in the leadership and resourcing arrangements around the JCTTs around the country. What the review found is that some of that variability is expected due to the size of the jurisdiction. But what we can do better is learn from the jurisdictions that operate really effectively and try and build on that across the country, what that should lead towards. But I think it's fair to say our shared goal would be that there is better alignment in practice where it's appropriate. That we have more consistent assessment of threats and a more consistent understanding of what the handoffs from a JCTT to another part of law enforcement are, and that we address some of the information sharing friction that can sometimes slow down information that should flow quickly.
Sure. And will so I take it there are specific recommendations in the report. When will the report be made available and what time frame? I know you have to work with counterpart agencies, but what time frame do we expect to see responses formulated and then enacted related to this?
First, let me just correct. I think I said the 16th of October, we received it on the 13th of October. The process from here is that uh the purpose as recommended through the interim report of the Royal Commission was that the review would essentially be delivered to police commissioners, the Director General of Security to then determine how to act on those recommendations. As I said, we have shared the uh jurisdictions were heavily involved in the consultation in the development of the review. Uh we have shared the final review with them in the next uh two weeks um along with my counterpart, the Deputy Commissioner of the AFP, we are aiming to convene discussions with the states and territories to work through the recommendations, prioritize what we think will give us the most bang for buck, and then develop an implementation plan. I would say some of them are short term. You'd expect um if if everyone agrees to implementation uh aspects like leadership structure, training uh could be addressed over the coming year. Um one of the recommendations go to go to developing a technology roadmap for JCTTs that will likely be a very long horizon to say here's what we can do to improve uh the technology that's available to the JCTTs, including to share information, and here is a rolled gold end state that might be some years to working towards.
And so just uh in rounding out there, the when did you say when the report will be released?
So um at we we don't intend to make the report public. Um it has been uh shared with the Royal Commission.
Um notice is fine.
Yeah. What we'll do is look at uh what information without compromising any of the sort of operational aspects.
Understood. Thank you.
Thank you, Senator Senator Shoebridge.