Natural disasters
Part 16 of the 
Telecommunications Act 1997 (the Act) places obligations on carriers and carriage service providers to supply carriage services to defence organisations for defence purposes and to cooperate with defence authorities in planning for network survival and operational requirements in times of crisis. For the purposes of defence planning, crisis is defined as being:
- war, war-like conflict or war-like operations; or
- civil disturbance; or
- terrorism; or
- earthquakes, floods, fire, cyclones, storms or other disasters-whether natural or resulting from the acts or omissions of humans.
Carrier obligations to provide service for natural disasters or national security
Under part 16 of the Act, a defence authority-the Secretary of Defence, Chief of the Defence Force-may give a carrier or carriage service provider written notice to provide a service for the Department of Defence or the Defence Force for the purposes of national security or for the management of natural disasters. The carrier or carriage service provider must provide the service requested unless the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) issues a certificate stating that it would be unreasonable for the supplier to provide the service in the circumstances.
A defence authority may prepare, in consultation with a carrier or carriage service provider, a draft agreement about planning for network survival and/or operational requirements in times of crisis. The ACMA may certify the agreement if it is of the opinion it is reasonable. Carriers or carriage service providers must comply with a notice from the ACMA to enter into an agreement and-once it has entered into the agreement-the carrier or carriage service provider must comply with it.
Protection of critical communications infrastructure
The Australian Government recognises that the health, safety and prosperity of the nation is dependent on the uninterrupted availability to industry and the community of key services and supporting infrastructure. Telecommunications infrastructure has been identified as one of a number of pieces of critical infrastructure that the nation is reliant on. Communications extends across many areas of the country and of the economy, and Australia's communications capabilities are a key contributor to the nation's security and economic welfare.
The Attorney-General's Department has been given responsibility for coordinating the whole of government approach to critical infrastructure protection. Because much of Australia's critical infrastructure is privately owned or operated, its protection cannot be carried out solely by governments or by individual companies. Initiatives have been taken to raise awareness of security risks and build cooperative arrangements. One such initiative is the Trusted Information Sharing Network for Critical Infrastructure Protection (TISN).
To further enhance the Australian Government's response to national security issues-including critical infrastructure protection-the Government announced on 23 May 2003 the formation of a National Security Division within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. The Division is tasked with ensuring a whole of government approach to national security issues, focusing on counter-terrorism, defence, intelligence, security, law enforcement and border protection.
What is critical infrastructure?
Critical infrastructure is defined as those physical facilities and those information technologies and communication networks which would- if destroyed- degraded or rendered unavailable for an extended period, impact on the social or economic well-being of the nation or affect Australia's ability to conduct national defence and ensure national security.
Critical infrastructure extends across many sectors of the economy, including banking and finance, transport and distribution, energy, utilities, health, food supply, manufacturing and communications, as well as key government services and national icons.
What is the Trusted Information Sharing Network for Critical Infrastructure Protection?
In response to the recommendations of the Business-Government Task Force on critical infrastructure, the Australian Government announced on 29 November 2002 its intention to form the Trusted Information Sharing Network for critical infrastructure (TISN). TISN is intended to allow the owners and operators of critical infrastructure to share information on important issues such as business continuity, consequence management, information system attacks and vulnerabilities, e-crime, protection of key sites from attack or sabotage, chemical, biological and radiological threats to water and food supplies, and the identification and protection of offshore and maritime assets.
TISN comprises a peak advisory council-Critical Infrastructure Advisory Council (CIAC), with a number of advisory groups. The advisory groups are industry led with each representing a different business sector. The CIAC will coordinate cross-sector issues raised by the sector advisory groups and liaise with governments on policy issues. In some cases it may be necessary to have multiple groups within a single sector so as to create an atmosphere of trust, based around shared threats and vulnerabilities (e.g. aviation within the transport sector).
The Attorney-General's Department has been given the responsibility to foster the establishment of the sharing network and of chairing the CIAC. The CIAC held its first meeting in August 2003. The Commonwealth agency, with portfolio responsibility for a particular industry sector, will coordinate the creation and conduct of the advisory groups for that sector.
DCITA coordinates and provides secretariat support for the Communications Sector Infrastructure Assurance Advisory Group that was established in June 2003.
Emergency management
The telecommunications industry, in partnership with the Australian Communications and Media Authority and the emergency management sector, has developed a set of guidelines called 'Communication Support to Emergency Management' to outline how carriers and carriage service providers will respond to requests for ad-hoc telecommunications during emergencies.
Further information on Natural Disasters and National Security is available through the following links:
- Attorney-General's Department
- Australian Communications and Media Authority
- Internet Service Providers and Law Enforcement and National Security fact sheet
- National Security Australia
- Emergency Management Australia
Further information on Critical infrastructure protection is available on the Trusted Information Sharing Network for Critical Infrastructure Protection website.
