Thank you very much Mr Lionel Woodward, Mr Coleman, the head of the Brisbane Port Authority, my ministerial colleagues, and in particular the Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson and Chris Ellison and Philip Ruddock and Senator George Brandis, ladies and gentlemen.
This morning I want to make a major announcement of enhancements of security arrangements for the maritime industry in Australia, and in doing so I emphasise that security in our ports for our ships and our trading routes is an essential part of national security. And this has been an area of priority for the Government and for industry, as we have worked together as part of an overall international effort to enhance maritime security.
We should remind ourselves that 74 per cent of Australian exports and imports move by ship each year and that has a total value of $188 billion. And I do want to acknowledge the hard work and the commitment of the maritime industry in achieving compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code by the 1st of July deadline. A total of 244 maritime security plans covering the activities of about 400 maritime industry participants were developed and approved over the last six months, and as a result the Government believes that the maritime security arrangements concluded in Australia are amongst the best in the world, and the partnership between the Commonwealth Government and the State Governments and the industry has been, and it will continue to be, quite pivotal to our security.
Since the 11th of September 2001, the Federal Government has committed an additional amount, including what I will announce today, of $3.2 billion to enhance our national security arrangements. That represents, in anybody's language, a massive, unavoidable and necessary investment in providing additional security. And this includes more than $870 million in additional resources for intelligence capabilities, and as I think most people who reflect for a moment recognise, effective and timely intelligence is about the best weapon that we can have in the fight against international terrorism. And I will be writing to the Premiers and to the Chief Ministers of the Territories about particular responsibilities of the States and Territories for maritime security in their jurisdictions.
What I announce today will represent new and enhanced initiatives costing some $102 million over four years, and the package I announce today includes an additional $48 million to enhance and increase the rate of container examinations of the Australian Customs Service customs container x-ray facilities located here in Brisbane, as well as in Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle, and I might add for the benefit in particular of the Queenslanders who are present here this morning that the biggest increase in container examinations will in fact take place here in the port of Brisbane. It will go from some 300 to 550.
Secondly, I am announcing that we're going to spend a further $9.3 million to enable Customs to board more vessels at the first port of arrival in Australia, and this will include more random checks so that any ship entering any port can expect to be boarded. We'll extend the Customs closed circuit television network to all 63 Customs proclaimed ports at a cost of over $17 million over the four year period. There will be posting of specialist immigration officials to ports to assist with clearance of passengers and seafarers, and that will cost $12.3 million. We'll introduce a maritime security identification card for maritime industry employees. We'll provide additional resources to further strengthen intelligence collection and the provision of intelligence information within key ports, and we'll provide an additional $4.4 million to allow the Government's Transport Security Operations Centre to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
We've also, I should note, established a dedicated taskforce to examine the security of Australia's offshore oil and gas facilities and assets and consider Australian Government capabilities and protocols for interdicting ships and other vessels at sea. We're undertaking already a detailed examination of security arrangements for transporting high consequence dangerous goods and this will build on the recent Council of Australian Government's work on ammonium nitrate, with the aim of restricting access to materials that could be misused by terrorists. And we'll provide some limited additional powers for privately engaged maritime security guards to enable them to respond with appropriate authority to breaches of security within ports.
At the same time, we're strengthening transport security in Australia and we're also working with our neighbours in the Asian Pacific region to improve their transport security. And in particular, Australia is working with neighbouring governments to ensure that ships and aircraft entering Australia from the region comply fully with international security standards. And as has been previously announced, Australia is planning to host a number of transport security experts within the region to help in building its capacity. Agreement has been reached with the Philippines Government to enhance maritime security at selected key shipping ports, and as previously announced, and indeed the Minister for Justice attended the relevant ceremony in Jakarta, Australia is contributing $36.8 million to the establishment of a Jakarta centre for law enforcement cooperation, which was opened earlier this month. And this international education and training institution will greatly increase the capacity of countries in our region to manage complex challenges in this era of international terrorism.
Ladies and gentlemen, today's announcement of measures strengthens the already very strong framework we've put in place in the Maritime Transport Security Act. I would however like to emphasise in concluding my remarks that the most important asset that the Government has are really the men and women at the front line, the men and women who work in Customs, the men and women who work in the Australian Federal Police, and the men and women who work in our intelligence services. The war or campaign or coordinated activity, whatever you want to call it, against international terrorism and the threats that it represents is likely to go on for many years and it will require a very united effort by all agencies within Australia.
We have committed an enormous amount of additional money. In a sense, I was thinking this morning when I was out walking, that there is really no limit to the amount of money that you can spend on activities dealing with international terrorism. The sky is the limit. You can always spend more. And ultimately, the most valuable weapon you have is timely and high grade intelligence, the most valuable weapon you have is the commonsense and the ingenuity of the men and women of Australia who work in our agencies, and I want to pay tribute to the people of the Customs Service and the Federal Police and all of the other agencies that are so importantly engaged. They are our greatest protection against the worst that terrorists and evil people might try do to our country, and it's important that their efforts be acknowledged, the work they have done to date, and it's important in announcing this very valuable strengthening of our resources that I do that.
And finally, can I thank in particular my ministerial colleagues. It has fallen to me as Prime Minister to make the announcement, but the leadership of John Anderson as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport has overall given to this, and of course the ongoing contribution of the Attorney General and the Minister for Justice and Customs, Philip Ruddock and Senator Ellison, has been absolutely crucial. They're a great security team and they've delivered a great package, and I'm delighted to announce it on their behalf and on behalf of the Government.
Thank you very much.