Saturday’s counter-terrorism raids in Sydney have sparked renewed calls for an Australian Federal Police presence at Tasmania’s airports.
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In response to the events on the mainland, Tasmania Police has bolstered security at the state’s principal airports.
The Sydney raids, conducted by the AFP, appear to have foiled a plot to detonate a plane.
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A Tasmania Police spokesperson said it had been briefed on the investigation.
“We are advised there is no information to suggest the integrity of Australian airports has been compromised,” the spokesperson said.
“Tasmania Police maintains a range of counter-terrorism capabilities that are well-positioned and ready to prevent and respond to a terrorism incident occurring within our state.
“As a precaution, Tasmania Police has undertaken measures, in response to this incident, to increase protective security around Tasmania’s principal airports.”
But Police Association president Pat Allen said the foiled terror plot in Sydney highlighted the need for the AFP to return to Tasmanian airports.
“They should never have been taken out in the first place,” he said.
“We’re being treated differently to every other state.”
We're being treated differently to every other state.
- Police Association president Pat Allen
The AFP withdrew its 27 officers from Hobart Airport in 2014, making it the only capital city airport without an AFP presence.
Mr Allen said the lack of AFP officers at the state’s airports put “extra pressure” on Tasmania Police.
Launceston Airport operations manager Peter Holmes said the airport followed the “lead” of state and federal agencies and would “respond proportionately” after the events in Sydney.
Tasmanian Labor Senator Carol Brown said the federal government should “immediately” reinstate AFP officers at Hobart Airport.
“Tasmanians have the right to feel as safe and secure as every other Australian,” Senator Brown said.
Meanwhile, Tasmanian Liberal Senator Eric Abetz said the issue should be “above politics”.
“The AFP made their own decision not to be at Hobart Airport so they could focus their resources where they are needed,” he said.
“[It] conducted an assessment indicating [its] presence [was] not needed.
“These assessments are best left with the experts.”
State Police Minister Rene Hidding believed the AFP should return to Hobart Airport.
“There was a case for the return of the AFP before the circumstances of Sydney this weekend,” he said.
“We’ve maintained our position with the federal government that there should be a federal police presence at the Hobart Airport.”
Mr Hidding said the federal government had pointed out that Hobart Airport was no longer an international airport.
But the minister stressed that the airport would soon be an international airport once more and that as soon as that was the case, the AFP should return.