Communiqué:

Law, Crimé and Community Saféty Council,

22 May 2015

Thefirst meetingof theLaw,CrimeandCommunitySafetyCouncil (LCCSC)for2015was held on22May2015inCanberra.TheCommonwealth Attorney-General,theHonGeorgeBrandisMP, andMinisterfor Justice,the HonMichaelKeenanMP,chaired themeeting.MinistersfromtheCommonwealth,eachstateandterritorywith portfolio responsibilityforlaw andjustice,police andemergencymanagementwerein attendance, aswasarepresentativeof theAustralianLocalGovernmentAssociation.NewZealandwas representedbyofficials fromNewZealandPoliceandthe NewZealandMinistryofJustice.

Summaryofdecisions

Session 1: Emergency Management

Natural Disaster Funding Reforms

Ministersagreedtoworktogetherto exploreoptions for arecoveryfunding modelbasedon upfrontdamageassessments,andfortop-uponrecoveryfundingto support mitigation initiativesoffsetbyamodestdecreasein recoveryfunding.

Standardisationof BureauofMeteorologyservices

MinistersendorsedtheimplementationofactionstonationallystandardisetheBureauof Meteorology’shazards services andclearly allocateresponsibilitiestothe Bureau, state,territoryandlocalgovernmentforfloodmanagementasoutlinedintheFinalReport of theAustralia-NewZealandEmergencyManagementCommitteeStandardisationof Bureau of MeteorologyServicesTaskforce.

EmergencyAlert

Ministersnotedthestatusof theEmergencyAlertProgram,includingtheEmergencyAlertPhase3 ProjectandEmergencyalert operations.

Lessonsfrom TropicalCycloneMarcia

Ministersreceivedabrief fromQueenslandonlessons arising fromTropicalCycloneMarcia that crossedthecoast northof Yeppoonon themorningof20February2015causing significanthardship.Some2000buildingsweredamaged—238severelyand14totally. Manyresidentswerewithoutpowerfor severaldays.

TheNorthernTerritoryupdatedtheLCCSC that theirresponseto twocycloneswaseffective based onmodernisedlegislation,arapidimpact assessmenttool andthe useof National CriticalCareand TraumaResponseCentre’s system formanagingevacuees. TheNToffered to shareinformationandtechnologywithotherjurisdictions.

Session2: Law Enforcement andCommunitySafety

Nationalfacialbiometricmatchingcapability

Ministers:

a)supportedtheCommonwealth’sestablishment ofaNationalFacialBiometric Matching Capability toimprovegovernments’ ability, where authorised by law and in accordancewith relevantprivacylegislation,to shareandmatchfacialimages;and

b)agreedthattheCommonwealthworkwiththestatesandterritoriestoprogressarrangementsfor law enforcementandroad agenciestoparticipatein theCapability.

Responsetothepanel onunexplainedwealth

Ministersnotedtheimportanceofcooperativeapproachestousingunexplainedwealth laws todisruptand undermineseriousandorganised crimein Australia, andagreedto continuetoworktodevelopthe proposednational cooperative schemeonunexplained wealth.

Responsetoseriousandorganisedcrime

Ministers:

a)agreedthattacklingtheevolvingthreatposedbyseriousandorganised crime requiresacollaborativeandcoordinatednationalresponse,and

b)endorsedtheNational Organised CrimeResponsePlan 2015-18whichsetsouta rangeofactivitiesthatjurisdictions will pursue over thelifeof theplan totacklethis threat.

TheNational OrganisedCrimeResponsePlan 2015-18isavailable here.

Nationalicetaskforceupdate

Ministersdiscussed theworkoftheNationalIceTaskforcetodevelopa NationalIceAction Strategybeforetheendof2015,in collaborationwith Commonwealth,stateandterritory governments.

MinistersnotedthattheTaskforcewillbe informedbyconsultationswiththecommunity, expertgroupsand thenon-governmentsector(includingstakeholdersinregionalandrural areas)andwill presentaninterimreporttothePrimeMinisterfor considerationby the Council ofAustralianGovernmentsinmid-2015.

TheTaskforcewillalsodrawuponexisting initiativesaimedattacklingice andotherillicit drugs,includingthosethat Ministersconsideredattoday’s meeting, such as theNational OrganisedCrimeResponsePlan 2015-18andoptions topreventthediversionof precursor chemicalsinto illicit drugmanufacture.

Nationalconsistencyof controlsonprecursorchemicalsandequipment

Ministersagreedtoworktowardsmorenationallyconsistentcontrolsoverprecursor chemicalsandequipmentandwillarrangepublicconsultation onarangeof possible options.

NationalDomesticViolenceOrderscheme andinformationsharingsystem

Ministersnoted:

a)theprogressonthemodellegislation tounderpina NationalDomesticViolence Order Schemetoenabletheautomaticrecognitionandenforcementof domestic violenceordersacrossjurisdictions

b)that theobjectiveof theNationalDomesticViolenceOrderInformationSharingSystemistoprototypethetechnicalsolutionto improvethelackofnational coordination andinformation-sharingof domesticviolenceordersandrelatedcourt ordersacrosssystemsandbetweenjurisdictions,

c)that CrimTracisworkingwith Tasmania,NewSouthWales andQueenslandtotesttheprototypeinformationsharing system,and

d)Ministersalsonotedthat,atpresent,onceaDVOisregisteredin anotherstate,it is recognisedandcan be enforcedasifithad beenmadethere.Victimsshould be made awareofthis andbe encouragedtoregistertheirDVO intheirnewstateor a border state.

Indigenouscommunitysafety

Ministers:

a)notedthat alljurisdictionshaveparticipatedinaworkinggroup to examinehowall jurisdictions can‘ensurethatIndigenous communitiesaresafe’;and

b)agreed that theworkinggroup’soutcomesbereferredtoFirstMinistersto consider forinclusioninCOAG’s futurework programme and thatinformationsharing betweentheStates andTerritorieswill continueto allowjurisdictions to learnfrom experiencegainedelsewhereandsupportevidence-basedpolicyandprogram development.

Nationalsecurityupdate

TheDirector-GeneralofSecurity and theAFPCommissionerprovidedanupdatetoMinisters onthecurrentnational securitythreat.

Ministerswerebriefed onthescaleoftheterrorismthreat,bothathomeandabroad, and thesecurityandlaw enforcementoperationsthat havebeenconductedsince the3 October2014LCCSC meeting.

MinisterswerealsobriefedonthemeasuresthattheAustralianGovernmentisprogressing to combatthis threat andkeepAustralianssafe,including:detailsregardingtherecently announcedbudget measurestoimprovethecapabilitiesof Australia’sintelligence,security, law enforcementandborder agenciesandmeasurestobuild communityresiliencethrough newcounteringviolentextremismand counteringonlinenarrativesprogrammes;recent legislative reform;andprogressionof theNationalCounter-TerrorismStrategy.

Implementationof theMartinPlace SiegeReview recommendations

Ministers:

a)discussed thereportby theJointCommonwealth-NewSouthWalesReviewinto theMartinPlaceSiege,which wasestablishedbythePrimeMinisterandPremierofNSWandwasledby theSecretariesoftheCommonwealthDepartmentof thePrimeMinister andCabinetandtheNSWDepartmentofPremierandCabinet

b)notedtheJointCommonwealth-NSWReviewintothe MartinPlaceSiege,its recommendationsandoverallfindings,includingthat:

  1. overall,thejudgementsmadebygovernmentagencieswerereasonableand that theinformationthatshould havebeen availabletodecision makerswas available,but
  2. modestchangesareneededtoour laws andgovernmentprocessesto mitigatethepublic securityrisksexposedby theincident

c)agreed toimplementa numberoftheReview’s recommendations relatingtobetter trackingfirearmsandrestrictingthemovementanduseofillegal firearms, strengtheningidentitymanagementandprotectingidentityuseandoptionsfor strengtheningbailpoliciesacrossjurisdictions,and

d)noted thata numberof theReview’s recommendationsaroundAustralia’snational

securitymachinerywould be progressedviatheAustraliaNewZealandCounter TerrorismCommitteeandtheCouncilof AustralianGovernmentstogetherwith recommendationsoutof theCommonwealth’s CounterTerrorismReview,which wasreleasedon23February2015.

OptionstoboostcollaborationbetweenCrimTrac andtheAustralianCrimeCommission

Ministers:

a)notedtheimportanceof timelyaccessto accurateinformationandintelligenceto achieving law enforcementoutcomesatalllevels;

b)notedthe benefitsof improvingcollaborationbetweentheAustralianCrimeCommission(ACC) andCrimTrac; and

c)agreedthattheCommonwealthwouldcontinuetoworkwith jurisdictionsthrough theACC andCrimTracBoards todeveloprecommendedoptionstoimprove collaborationbetweentheseagenciesforministerialconsideration.

Session 3: Law Reform National legal assistance reforms Ministers:

a) agreedtoprogressdraftfuturearrangementsforlegalaid commissionsand

communitylegal centres,with aviewto finalisinganewagreementbefore30June

2015,and

b) agreedin-principletotheNationalStrategicFrameworkforLegalAssistance,while acknowledgingthat some jurisdictionsreservetheir positioninrelationtoparticular aspectsof theframeworktobefinalisedbeforeit comesintooperation.

Nationallegal professionreforms

Ministers:

a)receivedanupdateontheimplementationof theLegalProfessionUniformLaw from theChairandCEO oftheLegalServicesCouncilinadvanceof the commencementof theUniformLaw inVictoria andNewSouthWaleson1 July2015;

b)notedthattheintroductionof theUniformLaw isanimportant steptowardsuniform regulationof thelegal professionacrossAustralia;and

c)agreedthat,subjectto consultationwiththeirrespectiveprofessional bodies, non-participatingjurisdictions(Queensland,SouthAustralia,WesternAustralia, Tasmania,NorthernTerritoryandtheAustralianCapitalTerritory)will considerthe UniformLaw.

LCCSC priorityactionsfor 2015-16

Ministersnoted progressagainst theCouncil’sprioritiesfor2014-15andagreedtopriority actionsfor2015-16.