By Allen Koehn, Associate VP and GM – Public Sector at Infosys
We are entering a new phase of human evolution. However, it is not one comprising new limbs or larger eyes. Rather, it involves the pursuit of ultimate control, despite human error, through technological innovation. The robotic automation of society alluded to in the science fiction of our past is finally becoming a reality - one technological advancement at a time.
Human involvement, paper-heavy administration and room for error are exponentially decreasing as technologies like blockchain digitise and automate entire processes and interactions. What started as a platform for the transaction of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies now has the potential to span industries and verticals across the globe. There has been much hype about blockchain, with banks reporting annual savings of US$8-12 billion after its implementation1, but seemingly little understanding about what exactly it is and how it can be put to valuable use in different sectors.
What is blockchain?
Transactions - financial or otherwise - occur across networks every second. With blockchain, each time a transaction occurs, a network of computers carry out a series of algorithms, identifying the originating device and its user, and validating the transaction. This transaction is then added to a digital ledger (public or private) and attached to an irreversible chain of transactional “blocks”. Verified transactions are permanently recorded, traceable and updated across the entire network every 10 minutes.
Blockchain is decentralised – it does not have a central server or administrator, but rather exists on and is managed by the network itself. Unimaginable computational processing power is needed to override the network. There are no singular points of vulnerability and the corruption of any one bit of data results in its network-wide corruption. Ultimate visibility and control makes unauthorised actions impossible. Consequently, blockchain is almost entirely secure in the face of human-led threats.
It’s not just about security
Blockchain’s automation makes paper trails redundant, exponentially decreasing lost documents or delayed payments. Imagine a future where financial transactions within governments are automatically and irreversibly recorded, or citizens can transact confidentially without physical presence at a government office. Costs are reduced, efficiency is improved and the way for ultimate transparency is paved. Governments and organizations alike can achieve a true competitive advantage with blockchain (and its accompanying applications and digital technologies).
So, for those working in government, scratching your head about how to leverage this new technology, here’s five ways that I see blockchain being used in the public sector:
Australian Information and Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim. Pic: YouTube.
A new Australian Public Service (APS) Privacy Code covering the data citizens give to the federal government will be in place by 2018, prompted by the outcry over Centrelink robo debt and data matching.
Today’s [Thursday] joint announcement by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) said the two would work collaboratively on the new code, which aims to ensure a balance between data protection and privacy and data innovation and its use by Commonwealth agencies.
Australian Information and Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim told the Senate Community Affairs References Committee, which is conducting a public hearing into the Department of Human Services’ Online Compliance Initiative (OCI) in Canberra today, that the code would cover how data should be ‘respected, protected’ and regulated into the future, consistent with community expectations.
Mr Pilgrim said the code would be binding and failure to comply would be a breach of the Privacy Act. The current guidelines are voluntary.
He said penalties could range from asking for a written undertaking that an organisation would change their processes and comply - ultimately enforceable in the federal court – to civil penalties in a federal court which could reach up to $1.8 million for serious breaches.
The OAIC will lead on the code’s development due to the organisation’s specific privacy expertise and the code will be implemented APS-wide. All agencies will also need to have a privacy management plan in place under the new code.
The Department and the OAIC said the code was vital to maximise the value of publicly held data.
“The code can therefore be a catalyst to transform the Australian government’s data performance – increasing both internal capacity and external transparency to stakeholders,” they said.
Commissioner Pilgrim said the code would ‘support government data innovation that integrates personal data protection’ while giving the APS the ‘skills and capabilities’ it needed to manage personal information.
A storm over data privacy occurred after Fairfax published a piece by blogger Andie Fox in February which was highly critical of the DHS’ automated debt recovery drive, designed to claw back more than $1.5 billion over five years. In her article, Ms Fox claimed she had been pursued and ‘terrorised’ by DHS for money she did not owe after a relationship breakdown.
In response, DHS disputed Ms Fox’s account and leaked some of her personal information to a journalist, including her Family Tax Benefit claims and relationship details.
The government later defended itself arguing that it was allowed to release personal information to correct inaccurate public statements under social security legislation.
Federal Labor MP Linda Burney later referred the matter to the Australian Federal Police but the AFP concluded that Human Services Minister Alan Tudge had not breached Commonwealth legislation.
The government said the new privacy code would be developed in close collaboration with the APS and data stakeholders and it would apply to all Australian Government entities subject to the Australian Privacy Act 1988.
[post_title] => New APS privacy code on the back of Centrelink robo debt
[post_excerpt] => Penalties of up to $1.8m for serious breaches.
[post_status] => publish
[comment_status] => open
[ping_status] => open
[post_password] =>
[post_name] => new-aps-privacy-code-back-centrelink-robo-debt
[to_ping] =>
[pinged] =>
[post_modified] => 2017-05-19 10:51:12
[post_modified_gmt] => 2017-05-19 00:51:12
[post_content_filtered] =>
[post_parent] => 0
[guid] => https://www.governmentnews.com.au/?p=27154
[menu_order] => 0
[post_type] => post
[post_mime_type] =>
[comment_count] => 0
[filter] => raw
)
[10] => WP_Post Object
(
[ID] => 26578
[post_author] => 659
[post_date] => 2017-03-20 17:55:36
[post_date_gmt] => 2017-03-20 06:55:36
[post_content] =>
DIBP Secretary Michael Pezzullo. Pic: YouTube.
Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) Secretary Michael Pezzullo has faced a barrage of questions at a public hearing over the $257 million fit-out of his department’s new Canberran headquarters.
The department currently leases more than 100,000sqm of office space spread across 12 buildings and four suburbs in Canberra and leases are due to end progressively between 2017 and 2020.
The aim is to consolidate staff across five buildings and two suburbs, while also reducing the amount of office space leased by 14,600sqm.
The reorganisation was sparked by the July 2015 integration of the Department of Immigration and Customs and the need to quickly mount sensitive joint operations securely.
Mr Pezzullo faced The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works today (Monday) after senators questioned the project’s quarter of a billion dollar tab.
Many of the toughest questions came from senators asked him to justify relocating 2,000 staff to an office building at Molonglo Drive, near Canberra Airport.
The plan also includes retaining about 4,000 staff across three locations in Belconnen to avoid a negative impact on local businesses if there was a wholesale move out of the suburb.
But Labor Senator Alex Gallacher said he did not understand the department’s fascination with the Molonglo Drive site.
“You’re paying the maximum rate that you would pay for a lease in Canberra, in an area where the building is eight years old and there is allegedly somewhere between a 20 per cent and 40 per cent occupancy rate. In a less tightly held area, why do you pay the top rate?”
But Mr Pezzullo defended the Headquarters Project which the department has said will save $236 million over 30 years, mostly through cutting the amount of office space leased, competitive procurement processes and more efficient whole of life costs.
“The Commissioner and I don’t drive around Canberra saying “well that would be a nice place to live in or work in or whatever,” Mr Pezzullo said.
“It’s not about its attraction. It’s what came through the process as representing the best fit for the operational requirements ... the best value for money in terms of what the market had come back with in terms of fit-out costs and lease incentives and through the tender evaluation process. Its superiority relative to other market bids that had come back.”
He said there was “a massive net benefit to the Commonwealth” but this would have been even larger had the department been allowed to consolidate even more aggressively.”
The Department’s First Assistant Secretary of Corporate Services, Ben Wright, told the inquiry: “They gave us a good deal. It’s not just the rent rate, it’s also the lease incentive provided. They provided a rebate as well.
“When you take all that into consideration on a per square metre basis, it actually works out quite attractive.”
Mr Wright said the department had looked at sites in Civic, Airport, Belconnen and Lowden but the airport building was the best value for money and tender bid.
The department said in its submission to the inquiry that the modern, purpose-built fit-out would enable it to co-locate and integrate staff, particularly those involved with border monitoring and control operations.
It would be flexible enough to quickly establish task forces and sensitive joint operations and operate them continuously and securely.
“The proposed new office accommodation will be of modern design with large efficient floor plates to support future flexibility and provide an open office environment to promote collaboration and positive cultural renewal which has been highlighted as being a critical success factor for the Department’s accommodation objective,” the department’s submission said.
Want the latest public sector news delivered straight to your inbox? Click here to sign up the Government News newsletter.
[post_title] => Pezzullo grilled over $250 million Immigration reno
[post_excerpt] => Canberra Airport site questioned.
[post_status] => publish
[comment_status] => open
[ping_status] => open
[post_password] =>
[post_name] => pezzullo-grilled-250-million-department-immigration-office-fit
[to_ping] =>
[pinged] =>
[post_modified] => 2017-03-21 10:52:07
[post_modified_gmt] => 2017-03-20 23:52:07
[post_content_filtered] =>
[post_parent] => 0
[guid] => https://www.governmentnews.com.au/?p=26578
[menu_order] => 0
[post_type] => post
[post_mime_type] =>
[comment_count] => 1
[filter] => raw
)
[11] => WP_Post Object
(
[ID] => 26259
[post_author] => 658
[post_date] => 2017-02-15 16:07:53
[post_date_gmt] => 2017-02-15 05:07:53
[post_content] => 
By Vanessa Cavasinni, editor Australian Hotelier
A lobby of roughly 20 Sydney hoteliers and other stakeholders has formed the City Safe proposal – a strategy that will see manifestly compliant venues push for exemptions to lockout legislation.
The City Safe concept puts forth a two-pronged strategy to the New South Wales Government: firstly, that CBD and Kings Cross venues that can prove that they are compliant and implementing best practice policies through electronic incident registers will be exempted from the lockouts and return to their previous licensed trading hours.
Exemptions have already been catered for in legislation – both the CBD and Kings Cross Precinct regulations have made provision for exemptions. The half-hour extension for live music venues, as implemented after the Callinan Review recommendation, uses these very provisions. The City Safe proposal would not need legislation to change, just government policy.
The second facet of the City Safe proposal is to turn these exempted venues into ‘Sydney Safe Venues’. This program would work similarly to the Neighbourhood Watch programs prevalent in the 1990s. In essence, a Sydney Safe Venue, would have a sticker on their façade announcing themselves as such, and would provide shelter to anyone feeling vulnerable on the street. The venue would provide refuge while you wait for transport, will call an ambulance or police if necessary, and provide basic first aid and water.
Read more here.
This story first appeared in The Shout.
[post_title] => City Safe strategy a 'win-win' proposal on Sydney lockouts
[post_excerpt] => Well-behaved venues want to create safe zones for night owls.
[post_status] => publish
[comment_status] => open
[ping_status] => open
[post_password] =>
[post_name] => 26259
[to_ping] =>
[pinged] =>
[post_modified] => 2017-02-15 16:07:53
[post_modified_gmt] => 2017-02-15 05:07:53
[post_content_filtered] =>
[post_parent] => 0
[guid] => https://www.governmentnews.com.au/?p=26259
[menu_order] => 0
[post_type] => post
[post_mime_type] =>
[comment_count] => 0
[filter] => raw
)
[12] => WP_Post Object
(
[ID] => 26196
[post_author] => 659
[post_date] => 2017-02-08 16:44:30
[post_date_gmt] => 2017-02-08 05:44:30
[post_content] => 
Melbourne Crown Casino
The Victorian Auditor General’s Office (VAGO) released a report today (Tuesday) slamming the state’s alcohol and gambling regulator for being too weak, divided and disorganised to address problem drinking and gambling and for being too soft on Melbourne's Crown Casino.
Auditor-General Andrew Greaves gave the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR) an emphatic thumbs down across a number of key issues in his report and said a big shake up of the organisation and its work was needed.
What emerges is a picture of an agency which has dropped the ball on problem alcohol and gambling in Victoria; one which has put quotas, convenience and box ticking ahead of genuinely trying to head off high risk situations.
He criticised the agency for failing to clamp down on rogue venues that supplied alcohol to minors and drunk people and venues that allowed both groups to gamble.
The report said the Commission’s management approach and culture meant it employed “superficial inspection activities” and focused on meeting quotas rather than pursuing harm minimisation.
There are signs too that criminal elements have been given too much freedom inside Melbourne Casino, the only Victorian venue that provides gambling and alcohol round-the-clock and the holder of 13 liquor licenses.
Mr Greaves said the Commission’s compliance division had “not applied a level of focus on the casino that reflects its status and risk as the largest gaming venue in the state” and its approach had been patchy, at best.
He said the Commission had “not paid sufficient attention’ to problem areas like barring people who had been excluded by police or keeping an eye on money laundering and problem gambling.
Melbourne's Crown Casino was the subject of court judgements on Chinese money laundering at the end of last year, activities which involved regular large buy-ins and cash-outs of chips.
Players lost more than $1.8 billion at the casino in 2015–16.
Other criticisms of the VCGLR included:
By Andy Young
Anti-lockout pressure group Keep Sydney Open’s plans to run a rally in Kings Cross on Saturday night were crushed by the Supreme Court on Friday.
NSW Police Commissioner, Andrew Scipione, headed to the Supreme Court to stop the planned night rally, arguing that a crowd of 7000 people would be too dangerous in the Kings Cross area on a Saturday night. In putting the case forward Scipione said that he “would, or might well, support a public protest in an open area during daylight hours” but added he had concerns regarding public safety and crowd management given that the event was to be held "at night and in a confined, semi-residential area".
The Supreme Court also noted: “The proposed event involves large logistical questions about crowd management that bear upon the safety of participants, and the general community in the vicinity of the venue. The defendants have endeavoured to cater for the orderly conduct of the event (for example) by arranging for volunteer marshals to assist in crowd control, and for St John Ambulance officers to be available to render medical assistance, if required. They have not, however, made comprehensive arrangements (for example) for the control of traffic and pedestrians - they rely upon the police for that - and they do not presently have insurance cover in the event of misadventure.”
Read more here.
This story first appeared in The Shout.
[post_title] => Supreme Court shuts down Keep Sydney Open rally
[post_excerpt] => Scipione wins battle to stop rally.
[post_status] => publish
[comment_status] => open
[ping_status] => open
[post_password] =>
[post_name] => supreme-court-shuts-keep-sydney-open-rally
[to_ping] =>
[pinged] =>
[post_modified] => 2017-01-24 10:53:29
[post_modified_gmt] => 2017-01-23 23:53:29
[post_content_filtered] =>
[post_parent] => 0
[guid] => https://www.governmentnews.com.au/?p=26059
[menu_order] => 0
[post_type] => post
[post_mime_type] =>
[comment_count] => 0
[filter] => raw
)
)
[post_count] => 14
[current_post] => -1
[in_the_loop] =>
[post] => WP_Post Object
(
[ID] => 28314
[post_author] => 673
[post_date] => 2017-10-18 10:07:40
[post_date_gmt] => 2017-10-17 23:07:40
[post_content] => 
The Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) has released a YouTube video showing how to create its new Govpass digital identity. The video was announced in a blog by Felicity Hitchcock, a product manager at the DTA. Govpass will replace the existing 100 point identifier used to access Federal Government services. It is still in its beta […]
Americans are more scared of government and its corrupt officials than they are of anything else, including nuclear war or climate change.
The Federal Government will ask the states and territories to provide photos and personal information from drivers licences to build a national facial recognition scheme.
UNSW Canberra and the RAAF will develop three Cubesats for maritime surveillance.
The cyber security industry gets its wish for funding, whilst others face cutbacks.
The distribution of commercial spyware to government agencies appears to be common practice in Australia.
This week has seen the discovery of over a tonne of precursor drugs and 92kg of cocaine in what authorities hope will be “disruptive” to the drug trade, but may just be an indicator of Australia’s drug problem.
Department of Defence staff will get a pay rise after three years of negotiations.
Making paper trails redundant.
Penalties of up to $1.8m for serious breaches.
Canberra Airport site questioned.
Well-behaved venues want to create safe zones for night owls.
Attorney-General speaks out.
Scipione wins battle to stop rally.
The Federal Government will ask the states and territories to provide photos and personal information from drivers licences to build a national facial recognition scheme.
The push is part of the Government’s continually escalating War on Terror. It will be on the agenda of the ‘Special COAG on Counter Terrorism’ meeting, held in Canberra on 5 October.
Canberra is increasingly pressuring the states to do more to combat terrorism, which is increasingly the ‘law and order’ issue of the modern age. And generally speaking the states are keen to cooperate, so they can be seen to be taking the matter seriously.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull flagged the use of drivers licence in an interview with ABC’s Sabra Lane on Wednesday morning (4 October).
“Drivers licence photographs are already used to identify people, and we have passport photos. About half the adult population has their photo in one Federal Government system or another.
"If we bring in drivers licences we will be able to build up a national system that will enable us to more quickly identify people who are suspected of terrorist activities.”
When asked by Lane if the national facial recognition system could be used in places like airports and shopping malls, Turnbull agreed. “Absolutely," he said.
Lane then suggested that tech experts had said that such a system could be hacked, and that therefore someone’s biometric data could be forever compromised.
The Prime Minister said the alternative was not to use data at all. “There has to be a balance. The Government’s main aim is to keep Australia safe.”
The Opposition is on board. In a separate radio interview on ABC radio in Adelaide, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Penny Wong, indicated bipartisan support.
“I'm a member of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security. Consistent with Labor's bipartisan approach, we've taken a very collective approach to looking at these sorts of proposals.
“Labor is always prepared to look at what laws are needed to ensure that we keep Australians safe and we will consider these laws that the Prime Minister is flagging, very carefully, including what safeguards are required.”
The Greens and many civil libertarians are resisting the move.
“The wider use of facial recognition software will affect every Australian's privacy,” said Greens Justice spokesperson Nick McKim.
“Labor and the Liberals have colluded to erode freedom and the rule of law in Australia for fifteen years, and tomorrow they should resist the Prime Minister’s national security machismo.”
“For too long we’ve watched as governments have deliberately set out to scare people to make it easier to weaken their rights. This latest expansion of state powers is one of the reasons why the Greens will move in the current term of Parliament to introduce, debate and vote on a Charter of Rights.”
“Our basic freedoms and liberties are too important to lose.”
[post_title] => Feds want drivers licenses for facial recognition
[post_excerpt] => The Federal Government will ask the states and territories to provide photos and personal information from drivers licences to build a national facial recognition scheme.
[post_status] => publish
[comment_status] => open
[ping_status] => open
[post_password] =>
[post_name] => feds-want-drivers-licenses-facial-recognition
[to_ping] =>
[pinged] =>
[post_modified] => 2017-10-06 10:28:05
[post_modified_gmt] => 2017-10-05 23:28:05
[post_content_filtered] =>
[post_parent] => 0
[guid] => https://www.governmentnews.com.au/?p=28168
[menu_order] => 0
[post_type] => post
[post_mime_type] =>
[comment_count] => 0
[filter] => raw
)
[3] => WP_Post Object
(
[ID] => 28147
[post_author] => 670
[post_date] => 2017-10-02 21:25:41
[post_date_gmt] => 2017-10-02 10:25:41
[post_content] => [caption id="attachment_28148" align="alignnone" width="300"]
A pair of CubeSats, with the Earth’s limb in the background, is seen moments after being ejected from a small satellite deployer outside of the space station’s Kibo lab module in May 2017. Photo: NASA.[/caption]
Nick Ellis
UNSW Canberra and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) will develop three Cubesats to be used for maritime surveillance, with the first lifting off in early 2018.
UNSW Canberra has signed a $9.96 million contract with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) to develop new ways to enhance Australia’s future Defence space capability.
Engineers and scientists from UNSW Canberra Space will design and build three Cubesat spacecraft for two space missions, to be launched into Low Earth Orbit.
Cubesats are miniaturised satellites with a standardised form that fits into ‘piggy-back’ dispensers on most commercial rocket launch services
They are made up of units that are 10 centimetres cubed, use a variety of off-the-shelf and bespoke electronic components and sensors. They are economical, can be applied to a wide array of space-based purposes (particularly for space research, Earth observations and communications), and can be rapidly designed and built to high standards.
3 unit (3U) Cubesats are roughly the size of a loaf of bread and weigh approximately 4kg. 6 unit (6U) Cubesats are twice the size as 3U.
Director of UNSW Canberra Space, Professor Russell Boyce says the Cubesats will be used for maritime surveillance.
"These spacecraft are able to gather remote sensing information with radios and cameras, and are the sort of innovative space capability that can help meet many ground-based needs in ways that make sense for Australia,” Professor Boyce said.
“Because they have re-programmable software defined radios on board, we can change their purpose on the fly during the mission, which greatly improves the spacecraft’s functional capabilities for multiple use by Defence."
The first will lift-off in early 2018, followed by the second in 2019.
The space missions will also deliver research and educational outcomes for Defence and civilian students studying engineering at UNSW Canberra.
UNSW Canberra Rector, Professor Michael Frater, said the space program is built on the university’s strengths in satellite and sensor R&D.
“UNSW Canberra has invested significantly to build a very large world class team of space scientists and engineers. With the announcement this week of a national space agency, we are very excited about the future of space in Australia. We look forward to having a leading role in the space industry, both through education and research.”
[post_title] => RAAF, UNSW to cooperate in space
[post_excerpt] => UNSW Canberra and the RAAF will develop three Cubesats for maritime surveillance.
[post_status] => publish
[comment_status] => open
[ping_status] => open
[post_password] =>
[post_name] => raaf-unsw-cooperate-space-missions
[to_ping] =>
[pinged] =>
[post_modified] => 2017-10-06 10:29:44
[post_modified_gmt] => 2017-10-05 23:29:44
[post_content_filtered] =>
[post_parent] => 0
[guid] => https://governmentnews.com.au/?p=28147
[menu_order] => 0
[post_type] => post
[post_mime_type] =>
[comment_count] => 0
[filter] => raw
)
[4] => WP_Post Object
(
[ID] => 28117
[post_author] => 670
[post_date] => 2017-09-26 10:59:36
[post_date_gmt] => 2017-09-26 00:59:36
[post_content] => 
The Australian Government will outlay $50 million over the next seven years to establish the Cyber Security CRC.
The new cyber security Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), long campaigned for by the 
There needs to be more transparency, oversight and strong steps toward developing a robust framework of 
This week has seen the discovery of over a tonne of precursor drugs potentially worth $650m and 92kg of cocaine worth $30m in what authorities hope will be “disruptive” to the drug trade, but may just be an indicator of Australia’s drug problem.
Cocaine in the cargo
Police and border protection agencies say they have significantly disrupted an international criminal syndicate allegedly involved in the importation of illicit drugs into Victoria.
Seven men were arrested in Melbourne for their alleged role in attempting to import approximately 92kg of cocaine earlier this week. The drugs have an estimated street value of $30 million. Approximately $580,000 cash was also seized by police as part of the operation.
The operation was conducted by investigators from the Trident Taskforce, who have been investigating an international criminal syndicate for more than a year.
On Monday evening (26 June 2017), a cargo vessel arrived at the Port of Melbourne. The sea cargo container was taken to the Melbourne container examination facility where three suspicious black duffle bags were found concealed in a container from Panama.
Inside each of the bags were 26 blocks. The substance concealed within the blocks returned a positive result for cocaine.
Tactical officers from the Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police assisted Taskforce Trident investigators as they executed a number of search warrants across Melbourne. Seven men were arrested at various locations, of whom three were foreign nationals.
The men have been charged with a number of offences related to the importation and attempted possession of commercial quantities of a border controlled drugs, and also money laundering offences.
Bikies busted
In the same week, an investigation into a threat by bikies has resulted in the largest seizure of ephedrine on record and the arrest of a drug supply syndicate during a multi-agency operation in NSW and ACT.
Detectives from the State Crime Command’s Gangs Squad commenced an investigation in December 2016 following reports of an extortion involving members of the Rebels outlaw motorcycle gang (OMCG).
Their inquiries revealed a significant drug supply network, which included OMCG and other criminal groups planning large-scale importation of border controlled drugs.
As a result of further investigations, a shipping container was intercepted at Port Botany last Saturday (24 June 2017). The consignment was examined and 1.4 tonnes of ephedrine was located concealed in buckets labelled as sea salt.
This is the largest ephedrine seizure on record and the biggest seizure of precursor chemicals at the Australian border. It is estimated the amount of ephedrine could make up to 1.3 tonnes of ice, with an estimated potential street value of $650 million.
Police officers executed 28 simultaneous search warrants at properties at Kurrajong, Glenwood, Londonderry, Cabramatta, Canley Vale, Georges Hall, Merrylands, Minchinbury, Seven Hills, Fairfield, and Penrith, and Forde, ACT.
A clandestine laboratory was located at the Georges Hall address. During the warrants, officers seized five handguns, 6kg of ice, 10kg of ephedrine, a portable clandestine laboratory, and more than $2 million cash.
Investigators arrested 12 men – aged between 23 and 44 – who were taken to local police stations.
Acting ABF Commissioner Michael Outram said the seizure meant that 13 million individual hits of ice would now be destroyed.
“The 1.4 tonnes of ephedrine was seized before it crossed our border, before it could be used to make 1.3 tonnes of crystal methamphetamine and before it could make its way into the community.”
In the past six months alone, Australian law enforcement agencies are said to have set new records for the seizures of cocaine, ice and ephedrine.
[post_title] => Week of arrests, seizures net $680 million in drugs
[post_excerpt] => This week has seen the discovery of over a tonne of precursor drugs and 92kg of cocaine in what authorities hope will be “disruptive” to the drug trade, but may just be an indicator of Australia’s drug problem.
[post_status] => publish
[comment_status] => open
[ping_status] => open
[post_password] =>
[post_name] => week-arrests-seizures-net-680-million-drugs
[to_ping] =>
[pinged] =>
[post_modified] => 2017-06-30 11:31:39
[post_modified_gmt] => 2017-06-30 01:31:39
[post_content_filtered] =>
[post_parent] => 0
[guid] => https://www.governmentnews.com.au/?p=27512
[menu_order] => 0
[post_type] => post
[post_mime_type] =>
[comment_count] => 0
[filter] => raw
)
[7] => WP_Post Object
(
[ID] => 27463
[post_author] => 670
[post_date] => 2017-06-23 10:36:19
[post_date_gmt] => 2017-06-23 00:36:19
[post_content] => [caption id="attachment_27464" align="alignnone" width="300"]
Department of Defence photo from the Royal Australian Air Force taken during Exercise Diamond Storm.[/caption]
Department of Defence staff will have a new enterprise agreement after three years of negotiations, with staff voting on a deal that improved on the three previously rejected offers, with more rights protected.
These include:
Follow Government News