Surface Transport Security

Unlike the aviation and maritime sectors, where security regulation is the primary responsibility of the Australian Government, surface transport security, including rail, light rail, buses, and passenger ferries, is the responsibility of the state or territory governments in which the service is located.

The Australian Government's role is to work with state and territory governments to develop a consistent and coordinated approach to surface transport security. This work is primarily undertaken by the Security Standing Sub-Committee (Security SSC) of the Standing Committee on Transport which reports to the Transport Ministers' Council and the Australian Transport Council (ATC). This role, and the roles of the state and territory government, is set out in the Intergovernmental Agreement on Surface Transport Security (IGA).

The work of the Security SSC is guided by the National Surface Transport Security Strategy (NSTSS) that aims to provide for a surface transport system that is more secure against the threat of terrorism. The NSTSS complements national counter-terrorism and emergency management arrangements as well as other transport security frameworks in the aviation and maritime sectors.