Information Coordination
Information Coordination Branch is responsible for:
Attorney-General's Department Coordination Centre (AGDCC)
The Attorney-General's Department Coordination Centre (AGDCC) is a 24/7 dedicated all-hazards crisis coordination centre. The Centre provides situational awareness and coordination assistance across government, non-government and State and Territory agencies in an all-hazards environment.
'All-hazards' encompasses all types of incidents and events of a national security, emergency management or civil defence nature. The ADGCC uses a consistent set of management arrangements to embrace the aspects of prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.
The AGDCC supports the Australian Government's safety and security responsibilities through:
- All-hazards monitoring and scanning in cooperation with Australian, State and Territory agencies. This includes intelligence, security, law enforcement, and emergency management agencies
- Timely and accurate dissemination of information on emerging and current risks and threats to the Australian community and the interests of the Australian Government
- Coordinating the Australian government response to protective or national security threats or incidents, and
- Providing a 24 hour point of contact for the Protective Security Coordination Centre (PSCC) and Emergency Management Australia (EMA).
These responsibilities contribute to the Australian Government's situational awareness which is essential to well-informed decisions and actions for both routine and incident response coordination. It ensures that the Australian Government is well-positioned to provide support to State, Territory and foreign governments in the event of a crisis. In doing so, the Australian Government maintains its commitment to the safety and security of the Australian community as a whole.
The AGDCC has four key areas of responsibility:
Protective Security
The AGDCC supports the PSCC in delivering its responsibility to support the Australian Government's protective security arrangements. The AGDCC focuses on providing accurate and timely information relating to the operational protection of Australian Holders of High Office, the foreign diplomatic and consular community and high-level visiting foreign dignitaries. This requires liaising with a number of key stakeholders and client groups to collate and coordinate relevant and targeted protective security information. Should a security incident occur, the AGDCC becomes the whole-of-government focal point for the coordination and dissemination of incident information.
National Security
Under the National Counter-Terrorism Plan, the AGDCC performs a critical role in the national crisis management arrangements which operate in the event of a threat or incident of terrorism or other forms of politically motivated violence. This includes situations where the Australian Government supports a State or Territory government, or assumes policy and strategic responsibility for the threat or incident. In these circumstances the AGDCC becomes a focal point for the coordination of the Australian Government response. This includes ensuring the Prime Minister, Attorney-General, other Ministers and the National Security Committee of Cabinet are provided with the timely and accurate information relating to an incident or threat.
Emergency Management
The AGDCC supports EMA in delivering its responsibility to support the Australian Government's emergency management arrangements. The AGDCC focuses on providing accurate and timely information to the Australian Government on emerging and current sources of risk to the Australian community. The AGDCC will alert EMA and other Australian government agencies to particular hazard events in accordance with pre-agreed thresholds. This includes supporting the Australian Government earthquake and tsunami warning notification network where the AGDCC plays a key role in ensuring that key stakeholders are alerted to these potentially catastrophic events.
National Security Hotline
The National Security Hotline was established on 27 December 2002 as a facility designed to give reassurance to the community and to receive information on possible terrorist activity. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is operated by trained and experienced advisers from a wide range of backgrounds, including policing, security and the military.
Reports received from the public are immediately passed on to the relevant police or security agency. All information is confidential and callers may remain anonymous if they wish. The Hotline had received more than 108,000 calls by the end of November 2007.
In considering whether or not to report an activity, members of the public should think about whether the behaviour, activity or action is out of place in that neighbourhood or in that context. It may seem insignificant, but a small piece of information may provide a vital link for the investigating agencies.
The advisers are also trained to provide information on the Government's well established coordination arrangements which are designed to deter, detect and respond to terrorist activity.
Facilities are in place to accommodate callers of special needs and the Hotline maintains links with the various telephone translation services.
Contact
- The Hotline operates a 1800 number (1800 123 400) and calls are toll free.
- Information can also be provided through the www.nationalsecurity.gov.au website.
- The TTY number is 1800 234 889 and the fax is (02) 6250 5990.