As we approach the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, not only should we remember those who died, but those who have since suffered. Those attacks and the attacks in other parts of the world including the Bali bombings in 2002 and 2005 have helped us prepare ourselves for the threat of terrorism in this state. While we are considered to be a lucky country, we are also considered to be an attractive target for terrorists. For example, let's go back 6 years. In 2005, in a joint operation involving the New South Wales Police Force, the Australian Federal Police and the Victoria Police, 9 men were arrested here in Sydney and charged with planning a terrorist attack. They were prosecuted and found guilty and later sentenced to lengthy prison terms. Now come forward to 2009, when we assisted the Australia Federal Police and the Victoria Police in the arrest of a number of men. They were planning a terrorist attack on one of our army bases at Holsworthy in south west Sydney. Three of the men have been convicted and are waiting to be sentenced. Sydney is among the top locations in the world for quality of life and is consistently rated one of the best cities in the world. Through the Olympic Games and hosting other major events, Sydney has developed a profile as a major international city. We also have a number of well know icons such as the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. As such Sydney's profile makes it easily recognisable around the world. And to make it clear, terrorists continue to be interested in us. The national terrorist alert level is currently rated at Medium, which simply means that 'a terrorist attack could occur'. For this reason the New South Wales Government has established a number of strategies to counter terrorism in this state. These include the establishment of my command, a dedicated Counter Terrorism & Special Tactics unit in the New South Wales Police Force, and the development of specific counter terrorism capabilities across a range of New South Wales government agencies. The Counter Terrorism command was formed to harness the expertise of a number of different police units in order to prevent, investigate and if necessary respond to terrorist threats or an attack if one was to occur. The Command also provides tactical support to our front line police throughout the State. Our response comes from four major groups; the Anti Terrorism & Security Group, the Coordinated Response Group, the Operations Group and the State Protection Group. More information about these groups can be found on the internet through the New South Wales Police Force website. Some of the strategies include; 1st, the Secure Business Network, where businesses are invited to join the Network, where they can receive threat briefings, case studies and details on upcoming events. 2nd, Protecting places where large numbers of people gather, like shopping centres, sporting arenas, transport hubs and entertainment precincts. 3rd, Protecting the States' critical infrastructure where we are helping the owners and operators to secure their space. And 4th, by also securing chemicals and other hazardous materials that terrorists may want to use. And the list goes on, to many to mention here. We also work with other states and territories and commonwealth agencies like the Australian Federal Police and ASIO, as well as transport, the health system, emergency services and maritime security. A range of government agencies are involved in ongoing planning and the development of measures to prevent, prepare, respond and if required, recover from an attack. Regularly you will see in the media, coverage of our training exercises which demonstrate we are serious about practicing our skills and refining our arrangements. If we are unfortunate to suffer a terrorist attack, we will provide the community with as much information as possible as quickly as we can. We will use media in all forms like the TV, radio, newspapers, websites, and even facebook, twitter and YouTube will play a significant role. Through the media we will warn you or advise you, we will tell you what we are doing, and we'll let you know how you can get more information. Through vigilance, public education and awareness we can make a difference. And more importantly, we can't do it alone, together we can make our state a safer place. I want to leave you with the simple statement, that we will never become complacent when it comes to tracking down terrorists. For more information please visit our website secure.nsw.gov.au or simply google 'secure NSW'. And don't forget, please report any suspicious activity through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or the National Security Hotline on 1800 123 400.

• published: 09 Sep 2011
• views: 1735