Defence Review Consultation Summary of Submissions
Responses to Submissions Form Questions (continued)
Q6: When and how should military capabilities be used for non-military purposes to support the work of other (civilian) government agencies?
Using military capabilities for non military purposes
Submitters tended to focus on identifying the non-military and security-related roles the Defence Force will need capabilities and capacity to contribute to. A large variety of roles were identified in both domestic and international contexts. Search and rescue, maritime patrol, civil defence, and emergency relief, as well as police and security roles, were the most commonly supported. The full list is as below (the most commonly identified have the number of submissions in brackets).
- Civil defence and emergency relief (156)
- Responding to ecological and environmental threats
- Police and internal security (73)
- Search and rescue (62)
- Communications
- Maritime patrol (36)
- Education
- Terrorism, bomb disposal (30)
- Culture and heritage
- Fisheries (28)
- Research
- Border control & customs (25)
- Aid and development assistance
- Medical (21)
- Foreign Affairs
- Civil construction, infrastructure (15)
- Peacekeeping
- Transport (13)
- Strike breaking
- Local communities (10)
- Antarctic support
- Intelligence
- Ceremonial
Making effective use of Defence Force resources for security-related as well as non-military purposes was one of the strongest themes in submissions. One hundred and ninety seven submitters expected the Defence Force to play a significant part and sometimes lead a variety of these type of roles. In particular, it was felt that the Defence Force should be able to provide the necessary resources to respond to any crises or emergencies it may be asked to assist. In some cases the Defence Force has access to resources such as highly trained personnel and multi-functional platforms that could enhance the capabilities of civil agencies significantly. Support for local government in civil defence and rural fire fighting was one example mentioned by submitters.
"Defence Force support should always be available to other Government agencies as it is able to mobilise significant personnel and other resources that might not be available to civilian agencies."
Of those that supported the Defence Force undertaking roles beyond its core military purpose, over half (107) added that this should only occur subject to specific conditions. The four main conditions identified were: (i) where there is the correct authority for the Defence Force to participate, (ii) when civilian resources are insufficient, (iii) when the Defence Force has available capacity, and (iv) when participation does not affect core military duties. Some noted the capacity constraints the Defence Force is subject to when it is already supporting heavy commitments to international operations. Others commented that taking on a heavier burden in civil roles would divert resources away from the Defence Force. A handful suggested that the Defence Force undertake civil roles on a cost recovery basis, or that these tasks should be funded separately from the Defence Force's budget.
"Military capabilities should be able to be used when the capabilities of other government agencies are not sufficient."
A small group of submitters opposed the Defence Force undertaking any civil roles. Some identified the suppression of protest, riot control, law enforcement, strike breaking, prisons and youth services as domestic activities the Defence Force should not be involved in.
Inter-agency cooperation
Of those that supported significant roles for the Defence Force collaborating with other government agencies in security-related and non-military roles, 49 believed that a high degree of inter-agency cooperation would be required for this to be effective. Some recommended cooperation based on agreed policies, protocols or MOUs and long- term planning where the necessary roles for the Defence Force had been identified in advance. A high degree of information sharing across agencies was also needed to support this.
Similar to some views expressed earlier in Question 4, 14 submitters added that security-related and non-military roles would be more effectively carried out if the Defence Force was integrated with relevant civil agencies to provide all-
round capabilities in the national interest. It was suggested that this may be achieved through measures such as a joint headquarters approach involving civil agencies, the development of shared communication and surveillance systems, and from involvement in joint military-civil training and exercises.
"This odd phobia about having the military assist the civil authorities needs to be looked at afresh. We are a small country and we can't afford to equip more than one agency with the same capability."
