The Morrison Government’s plan for a stronger future is delivering more than $685 million in new funding to keep Australians safe, increase our cyber resilience, and modernise the nation’s trade and customs systems.
These initiatives build on record funding provided to our intelligence and law enforcement agencies to deliver a stronger future and more secure Australia to ensure the ongoing protection and safety of all Australians in an increasingly complex world.
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The Morrison Government is keeping Australians safe and secure through the following Budget measures:
- Investing $170.4 million to further develop the capabilities of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Border Force (ABF) over the next four years.
- This funding will harden Australia’s border against transnational, serious and organised crime (TSOC) by increasing the number of ABF officers at seaports, airports and warehouses, and boosting the AFP’s specialist operational, surveillance and criminal asset confiscation capabilities.
- The AFP will establish dedicated transnational serious organised crime Strike Teams (investigators and intelligence specialists) to target the importation and manufacture of illicit drugs, firearms and money laundering. This crucial investment will allow the AFP to supercharge its specialist capabilities to keep pace with the growing threat of outlaw motorcycle gangs, organised crime, cartels and other crime groups.
- This includes an allocation of $30.6 million over four years to the AFP’s Criminal Asset Confiscation Taskforce (the CACT) enabling even greater targeting of the criminal business model and more confiscation of illicit wealth from organised crime – to be reinvested in the Australian community and our law enforcement. The expanded CACT will boost its ability to track and seize cryptocurrency taking its proceeds of crime investigations deeper into cyberspace. And a new arm of the Taskforce will be established in Adelaide, extending the reach of the CACT to all mainland States.
- Allocating $116.8 million over two years to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) to increase intelligence outputs and drive more disruptions, seizures and arrests by partners, and to support the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Criminal Intelligence System (NCIS), which will provide a national, unified picture of criminal activity; further equipping Australian agencies to disrupt TSOC.
- Allocating an additional $35.1 million over two years to safeguard our critical trade links from TSOC by establishing a single government issuing authority for aviation and maritime security identification cards (ASICs and MSICs) – which allow for unescorted access to secure areas of our airports and seaports.
- Allocating an additional $61.7 million over four years from 2021-22 to Countering Violent Extremism programs.
- The new funding includes an additional allocation of $24.5 million to expand Living Safe Together, the flagship national Countering Violent Extremism Intervention program. This initiative supports states and territories to deliver tailored programs that prevent or reduce the risk of people radicalising to violent extremism.
- The new funding also includes $13.8 million to establish an additional Countering Violent Extremism program to de-radicalise high risk and hardened violent extremists, including those in Australian prisons, through rehabilitation and reintegration programs.
- Investing $86.7 million to protect the community from the enduring threat posed by high-risk terrorists currently serving custodial sentences to protect Australians from high-risk terrorist offenders who cannot be deradicalised, with:
- $66.9 million for continued support for the High Risk Terrorist Offender regime, and the implementation of the Extended Supervision Order framework; and
- $19.8 million towards establishing a ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Convicted Terrorist Offender Register.
The funding will also be used to maintain capabilities within the AFP, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), the Attorney-General’s Department and the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions to investigate, protect national security information in court proceedings, and prosecute offenders who breach orders.
Community safety
The safety of families and children at home and in our community is fundamental to Australia’s way of life. That’s why the Morrison Government is committing further investment to enhance the national response to combat domestic, family and sexual violence.
The Government will provide an additional $50 million over two years to expand Round Six of the Safer Communities Fund Early Intervention Grant Opportunity. The Early Intervention Grant Opportunity supports marginalised youth to develop life skills, including through educational and vocational training, to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour and to promote inclusion and community resilience.
Customs and border modernisation
The Morrison Government is investing $27.6 million over two years to continue modernising and digitising Australia’s trade systems and cut red tape for industry to drive economic growth and create more jobs.
The Government’s commitment to strong border protection continues with an additional $136.7 million for Operation Sovereign Borders Sustainment funding, including $7.1 million to extend the life of two Bay Class Vessels. As a result of continued funding and the Coalition’s strong policies to safeguard our borders, we have continued to stop illegal boat arrivals.
The measures announced in the 2022-23 Budget build on the Morrison Government’s strong track record of keeping Australians safe and protecting our way of life, including our significant long-term investment of $1.3 billion for ASIO over the next decade announced in the 2021-22 Budget.
Since coming to office, total funding to the AFP has increased to $1.7 billion.
The Morrison Government is building a strong economy and keeping Australia secure by protecting our community from terrorism, providing our law enforcement and intelligence agencies with the tools and resources they need to protect our community, and supporting legitimate travellers and traders across our border.
