http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/businesses-get-tips-on-surviving-terrori sm/2007/01/08/1168104923420.html
Businesses get tips on surviving terrorism IN A new phase in the Federal Government's "alert but not alarmed" counter-terrorism campaign, the Attorney-General, Philip Ruddock, is urging small-business owners to draw up emergency and business recovery plans for handling terrorist attacks or disasters. Mr Ruddock yesterday issued a booklet for small and medium-sized enterprises on how to minimise the risk of major disruptions to their operations. The booklet's tips range from the obvious, such as having a first-aid kit and locking up, to strategies increasingly being adopted by big businesses, such as having an alternative site from which to operate in an emergency and back-up arrangements. The move came as the Government announced it would spend $26.6 million to extend the funding for its national security hotline and Protective Security Co-ordination Centre Watch Office for another four years. Mr Ruddock said the hotline had received 88,000 phone calls, emails and letters since it started in December 2002 and law enforcement and security agencies had found it a valuable source of information. "The hotline works because members of the public familiar with their day-to-day surroundings are in the best position to detect unusual or suspicious activities," he said. A spokesman for Mr Ruddock said 11,500 of the 88,000 matters raised with the the hotline had been followed up by police or ASIO. About 3000 of these were still being investigated. In the foreword to the booklet, Mr Ruddock writes: "Any number of hazards, such as a natural disaster, fire or terrorist act, can threaten your business and endanger your livelihood and that of your employees. Unfortunately, no-one can ever be immune from every danger that exists, but we can all be prepared. It is important you have plans in place to deal with all sorts of emergencies." However, several of the Government's agencies, including Mr Ruddock's own department, are still to complete such plans. The Australian National Audit Office's annual audit of government departments found 16 agencies that had not finalised or properly tested business continuity plans. It also found that the Australian Customs Service, the Australian Federal Police, the High Court, the Australian Government Solicitor and the Director of Public Prosecutions had not completed or kept their plans up to date. These agencies are all in Mr Ruddock's portfolio. Other agencies named were the Australian Taxation Office, the Royal Australian Mint, the Immigration Department, the Health and Families and Community Services departments, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the National Museum of Australia. The Audit Office also said the Defence Department had failed to carry out scheduled testing of business continuity plans for its computer system for managing explosive ordnance inventory. The Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, said the Government was aware of a mosque in Adelaide that had sought funding from the Saudi Arabian Government in recent years. "There has been concern, internationally, not specifically to Australia, about some elements in Saudi Arabia trying to spread that particular extremist interpretation of Islam," he said. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. 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