Decades ago, national security was measured in tanks, fighters and border protection. Today, it is far broader, extending across our digital networks, critical infrastructure, social cohesion and online spaces.
A stronger national security future means staying ahead of emerging threats while protecting the safety of Australians and the resilience of our communities.
This year’s Australian federal budget continues investment in security, cyber capability and prevention to ensure Australia is prepared for the challenges of a rapidly changing world.
Since coming to office in 2022, the government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has boosted national security funding over the four years of the forward estimates by A$53 billion, or 20 percent, lifting the national security funding base from A$265 billion for that period to A$318 billion.
That is not a defence budget figure. It is a whole-of-government national security figure spanning Defence, Home Affairs, intelligence agencies, the Australian Federal Police (AFP), border protection and Foreign Affairs. That distinction matters because it reflects how national security is now understood in practice: not solely through a defence lens.
Cyberattacks, foreign interference, online radicalisation and attempts to undermine social cohesion now sit alongside traditional military threats.
Funding for Australia’s National Intelligence Community has grown strongly over the past five years, rising by 31 percent to A$14.3 billion, while resourcing for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation has increased by 37 percent. These investments represent a sustained effort to strengthen Australia’s security architecture in a threat environment that is broader and faster-moving than ever before.
Last year, the government released a new Counter-Terrorism and Violent Extremism Strategy, backed by a record A$106.2 million investment over four years, to strengthen Australia’s prevention-focused approach to politically motivated violence. Endorsed by all states and territories, the strategy recognises that faster pathways to radicalisation – particularly among young people – require earlier and more coordinated intervention across government, community, health and education sectors.
This budget represents the continuation of a deliberate strategy to bolster Australia’s national security capability and support a more resilient and integrated security framework, in an effort to reverse capability gaps, program cuts and unfunded commitments left by the previous government.
But the scale of the investment is only part of the story. What is increasingly notable is the strategic logic behind where that investment is being directed.
ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess has repeatedly warned that Australia’s threat environment has a social dimension that intelligence agencies and law enforcement cannot address alone. He has cautioned that Australia’s social fabric is ‘fraying in ways we have never experienced before’ and highlighted how foreign state actors actively seek to exploit domestic tensions to advance their interests. At the same time, violent extremist movements continue to target vulnerable individuals online, creating division and encouraging violence.
The implication is that a divided society is a more vulnerable society. This budget takes that lesson seriously in a way that previous budgets have not.
The government is committing A$604.2 million to address violent extremism, terrorism and hate speech, including stronger hate crime and firearms laws, and enhanced capabilities to disrupt politically and ideologically motivated violence before it escalates into a security threat.
A significant initiative is the establishment of a new Counter-Terrorism Online Centre, jointly led by ASIO and the AFP. This will place specialist investigators directly into online environments where radicalisation occurs, including gaming platforms, encrypted chat groups and algorithm-driven social media feeds. Effective counterterrorism now requires security agencies to operate where the threat exists, not where it once existed.
The same logic underpins cyber security investments. The government is providing A$89.3 million over four years to sustain and enhance initiatives under the Australian Cyber Security Strategy. At a time when hostile cyber activity can disrupt hospitals, energy grids, ports, telecommunications systems and financial institutions, cyber resilience has become a core component of national resilience.
These are not optional investments. They reflect a structural shift in which civilian systems are now part of the national security landscape as much as traditional military assets.
The budget’s most distinctive feature, however, is its recognition of social cohesion as a national security capability.
The government is providing A$841.7 million in community infrastructure through the Thriving Suburbs, Growing Regions and Stronger Communities programs to bolster social cohesion and liveability. Libraries, parks, community centres, cultural facilities and public spaces may seem distant from traditional security policy, but they contribute to the trust and resilience that make communities less susceptible to division and disinformation.
The same principle is reflected in support for communities affected by hate and targeted violence. The budget commits A$42.9 million in mental health supports for the Jewish community and the broader Bondi community, alongside A$46.7 million in financial support for community security and infrastructure upgrades. It also commits to implementing Commonwealth-relevant recommendations from the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion Interim Report. These measures reflect an expanded conception of security, where protecting communities from targeted harm is increasingly seen as part of national resilience rather than separate to it.
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security will scrutinise these investments, ensuring that capability is matched by accountability and that oversight frameworks keep pace with expanded responsibilities.
But the broader direction is clear. A government that treats national security and social cohesion as inseparable – and invests in both the agencies that protect Australians and the communities they serve – is responding to the realities of the modern threat environment.
As the nature of national security evolves, so too must the policies and investments that underpin it. The Albanese government’s approach signals a contemporary understanding of security: one that recognises that resilience is built not only through military strength and intelligence capability, but also through social cohesion and strong, connected communities. The government is treating it as a priority – rebuilding capability and investing at a scale that reflects the threats Australia faces.