Summary

Implements certain recommendations of the Review of Defence Support to National Counter-Terrorism Arrangements by amending the Defence Act 1903 to: permit states and territories to request that the Commonwealth call out the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in a wider range of circumstances; enable call out orders to authorise the ADF to operate in multiple jurisdictions, as well as the offshore area; authorise the ADF to respond to incidents that cross a border into a jurisdiction that has not been specified in an order in certain circumstances; allow the ADF to be pre-authorised to respond to land and maritime threats, in addition to aviation threats; increase the requirements for the ADF to consult with state and territory police where it is operating in their jurisdictions; simplify, expand and clarify the power of the ADF to search and seize, and to control movement during an incident; remove the distinction between general security areas and designated areas; for the purposes of expedited call out, clarify that acting ministers are to be treated as substantive ministers and add the Minister for Home Affairs as an alternative authorising minister; and make technical amendments. Also makes a consequential amendment to the Defence Reserve Service (Protection) Act 2001.