The Australia-New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee (ANZCTC) has launched a set of guidelines for Government and business to help protect Australians from the threat that improvised explosive (IED) devices pose in places of mass gathering.
The guidelines were developed to reduce the vulnerability to the threat of terrorism. They are targeted to owners and operators of places of mass gatherings to raise their awareness of the threat IED incidents pose. They also provide guidance on the issues and options to consider during risk mitigation and contingency planning activities.
While Australia’s threat level remains at probable, incidents overseas in recent times highlight the impact of these attacks and the need to be prepared but also importantly how to respond. Overseas attacks often occur in crowded places such as public transport hubs, shopping centres and entertainment precincts.
The guidelines contain a range of valuable information including the current threat context, characteristics of IED incidents, primary objectives, prevention, preparedness, response and recovery arrangements, as well as useful links and contacts.
The Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Guidelines for Places of Mass Gatherings and other information on what business and the public can do to prevent, prepare for and respond to a an attack are available on the National Security website here.