subject: Keeping The Australian Border Safe [print this page] The main federal agency that keeps Australia's borders safe is the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service. This is the office that manages the security and integrity of the borders through policy implementation on the proper movement of legitimate international travelers and goods as well as collection of imposed taxes and duties.
The agency head is the Minister for Home Affairs and forms part of the Department of the Attorney General. Currently, there are over 5,800 individual staff members of the agency and its main office is in the country's capital of Canberra.
The Service has three primary roles, which are as follows:
Import and Export Controls. The office oversees the importation and exportation of goods to and from Australia. The staff is trained to search and intercept prohibited or restricted contraband as well as potentially harmful goods, which includes weapons, drugs and other items. The office particularly searches aircraft, vessels, cargo, postal items as well as travelers into as well as leaving the country. To pursue these duties and responsibilities, the agency has at its disposal intelligence data, databases of profiles including analysis, detector specialists such as canines, container X-ray facilities, Closed Circuit Television facilities for monitoring and further investigation.
Immigration Control. The agency also manages the basic immigration controls for the security of the country. By placing themselves as customs officers throughout the many air and seaports of the country, the office is able to provide initial information on individuals entering and leaving the country. This is done through the assessment of the arrival and departure documents of an individual together with a thorough scan and search of passenger baggage and paraphernalia. When red flags come up, the agency coordinates with proper officials for quarantine and destruction of the contraband material or detention of the red flagged individual.
Duties and Taxes Imposition. The office also handles the imposition of Goods and Services Taxes on taxable goods imported into the country. They also assess whether the goods are taxable or not or exempt from duties impositions. These goods are also determined if customs duties concessions are imposable. The agency also administers the Tourist Refund Scheme for individual tourists that visit Australia for a short period of time as well as Australian residents leaving the country. Under certain circumstances, the office can determine whether the individual is entitled to refund the GST or the Wine Equalization Tax on purchased items within Australia.
