The most recent report of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade was presented in the House today.

Media release issue date: Thursday, 25 November 2021

The most recent report of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade was presented in the House today. The Committee has conducted a review of the Department of Defence Annual Report 2019-20 and made recommendations in a range of areas. The inquiry initially focused on four main aspects of the annual report: namely space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, cyber warfare, Defence estate in the north and north-west and Defence workforce. Throughout the conduct of the inquiry, Defence science and technology and strategic fuel security became additional focus areas. Committee Chair, Senator the Hon David Fawcett, explained that the report and its recommendations reflect the fact that the Committee sees potential for Australia to take an increasingly ‘asymmetric’ approach to national security in coming decades, not only within the Defence organisation but from a broader whole-of-nation perspective. This extends beyond strictly military capabilities to shared civil-military space capabilities, joint civil-military cyber capabilities and innovative approaches to future fuel and energy security measures. ‘The global geostrategic environment is changing at a rate and on a scale much greater than was anticipated towards the end of the last decade. Military modernisation in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in ‘grey-zone’ capabilities and tactics, has added a layer of complexity to Australia’s strategic challenges which must be met in an equally high-paced and agile manner if we are to maintain a credible defensive deterrent’ Senator Fawcett said. Further details about the about the inquiry can also be obtained from the committee’s website. Media inquiries Sen the Hon David Fawcett, Chair Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Contact: Simeon Lawson (08) 8205 1040 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 2313 jscfadt@aph.gov.au  

The Defence Sub-committee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade is conducting a new inquiry, focussing on important aspects of the most recent Annual Report of the Department of Defence including space based intelligence and cyberspace warfare

Media release issue date: Friday, 9 July 2021

The Defence Sub-committee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade is conducting a new inquiry, focussing on important aspects of the most recent Annual Report of the Department of Defence including space based intelligence and cyberspace warfare. Chair of the Sub-committee, Mr Andrew Wallace MP, explained that ‘as part of the regular oversight role of the committee, we are taking the opportunity to review aspects of the latest Annual Report. Such inquiries allow the Parliament to get a temperature check on an agency, and as part of this process, we generally aim to ‘drill down’ into topical focus areas in more detail.’ ‘The Sub-committee has already held a public hearing with senior Defence officials, which was informative and thought-provoking, both on these timely areas, and on broader issues,’ Mr Wallace said. The Sub-committee is now inviting written submissions, by 4 August, on any of the following four focus areas: Space based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) Cyberspace warfare Defence estate in north and northwestern Australia Defence workforce Space-based ISR High-quality ISR is essential to government and military decision making. Space-based ISR is becoming both increasingly complex and increasingly critical as an input to the real-time and near-real-time ISR picture required by government and government agencies The Sub-committee is interested in the current state of Australian space-based ISR capabilities, its adequacy in the current geo-strategic environment, and what is and should be planned for future Australian space-based ISR. Cyberspace warfare Cyber warfare is increasingly the domain in which both ‘grey zone’ operations and the first offensive actions of conflict are likely to take place. In highly networked societies, governments, and militaries, the security and survivability of ICT systems and associated networks is a significant potential vulnerability. The Sub-committee is interested in the current state of Australian defensive and offensive cyber warfare capabilities. Defence Estate in north and northwestern Australia Defence has the most extensive land and property holdings in Australia, with over $28.2 billion of buildings and infrastructure including large training areas and bases close to the coastline, and environmental stewardship for over 3.5 million hectares of land in Australia. The Sub-committee is interested in the current state of Defence estate in Northern Australia, with respect to its development, maintenance, and capability. Defence Workforce The Committee acknowledges that the Defence Workforce is a potentially enormous area for investigation, with many interrelated threads, but it believes there is merit in looking at some broad themes, potentially for future inquiry. The Sub-committee is interested in hearing views about recruitment, retention, family matters and the reserve workforce. As an inquiry into an Annual Report, potentially all areas covered by the report are able to be considered, however the Sub-committee hopes to attract written submissions on the four focus areas above at this stage. Media inquiries Simon Thwaites, office of Andrew Wallace, MP (Member for Fisher; Chair, Defence Sub-committee) Ph: 0439 972 667 For background information Committee Secretariat Ph: 02 6277 2313 jscfadt@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right hand corner of the page.