NSW agencies and responsibilities
Each agency has core responsibilities and capabilities, which reflect their day to day business. Since 2001 the New South Wales (NSW) Government has significantly increased its counter terrorism capability across all relevant agencies, including the establishment of:
- Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics Command in the NSW Police Force, to prevent, prepare and respond to terrorism
- Security and Recovery Coordination Branch in the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet, responsible for centralised policy development and coordination across government
Regular multi–agency training and exercises are conducted within NSW to test the State’s prevention, response and recovery capability and capacity. These activities include simulated exercises, high level discussion exercises and drill style training.
There are a number of established arrangements in place within NSW to plan and support the preparedness, response and recovery of NSW in an emergency. These include the NSW State Disaster Plan (DISPLAN) and supporting sub-plans, oversighted by the State Emergency Management Committee and associated sub-committees.
Specific roles of state agencies
The roles of State and Territory agencies are defined within the National Counter Terrorism Plan. Details in relation to NSW are provided below with links to the individual agencies' websites for more information.
Community services departments and agencies assist individual and community recovery through the coordinated provision of emergency and ongoing assistance.
Dangerous goods and work cover authorities maintain standards for the security and transport of dangerous substances.
Emergency services provide consequence management in the event of a terrorist incident, consistent with NSW plans and structures. This includes NSW Fire Brigades, NSW Ambulance Service and NSW State Emergency Services (SES).
Engineering services assist the recovery of physical infrastructure, provided by the NSW Department of Commerce.
NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet coordinates the whole of government policy development, planning and preparedness.
NSW Health takes an all hazards approach to planning for and responding to natural disasters, accidents and terrorist incidents, and provides field teams, hospital treatment and ongoing care for victims.
NSW Police Force has operational responsibility for preventing and responding to terrorism and will investigate terrorist activity, threats and incidents.
Transport departments are responsible for coordinating surface transport operations and ensuring the implementation of security arrangements for those operations that are security identified. Transport agencies include NSW Transport Services, NSW Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA), Railcorp and State Transit Authority of NSW (STA) for Sydney buses and ferries.