The Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Attorney-General Robert McClelland today officially opened the Australian Government's Counter Terrorism Control Centre (CTCC).
The CTCC will play a lead role in strengthening the coordination of Australia's counter-terrorism intelligence efforts by setting and managing counter-terrorism priorities, identifying intelligence requirements and ensuring that the process of collecting and distributing intelligence is fully integrated.
The new facility will strengthen Australia's national security capability by improving our ability to prepare for and respond to significant national and international threats.
The centre will be hosted by the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation with representatives from Australia's key security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies including the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Secret Intelligence Service and the Defence Signals Directorate.
The failed attack last Christmas on Northwest Airlines flight 253 demonstrated the need for our national security agencies to operate seamlessly in sharing information and intelligence to combat terrorism and other national security threats.
The creation of the CTCC was a key recommendation of the Government's Counter-Terrorism White Paper, which noted that Australia remains a key terrorist target, with prominent terrorists and extremists encouraging attacks on Australia both before and after 11 September 2001.
By providing a flexible and focused counter-terrorism capability, the CTCC represents a significant advance in Australia's national security arrangements.