The Border Protection Command (BPC) is responsible for coordinating and controlling operations to anticipate and then, if required, to react to such threats. How well does its command and control structure function in practice?
When a Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel (SIEV) was intercepted in the waters near Ashmore Reef off the north-western Australian coast in April 2009 by a Royal Australian Navy patrol boat, and was being escorted to Christmas Island so that its passengers could be processed at the facility there, everything appeared normal. Then on the second morning the SIEV caught fire, killing five people and injuring 48, including four ADF personnel on board. The scale and complexity of this effective disaster response provided an excellent demonstration of how well the BPC functioned in co-ordinating deployment of ADF and multiple civilian resources.
This raises the question: is there a need for a US-style coastguard as long favoured by the Labor Party in opposition?
This model has the coastguard as an arm of military Services, in effect an extra navy with its own air element. As well as the oceans, it would also cover inland waterways, responsible for maritime safety.
In peacetime, the US Coastguard reports to the Department of Homeland Security, but should war be declared it then reports to the US Department of Defense.