Chair, Committee Members, thank you for the opportunity to provide an opening statement.
The Australian Border Force (ABF) is Australia's frontline border law enforcement agency and customs service within the Department of Home Affairs.
In respect of Australia's sanctions regime, the ABF is responsible for administering sanctions related import and export prohibitions under Commonwealth legislation including the Customs Act 1901, the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 and the Customs (Prohibited Exports) Regulations 1958. Collectively these give effect to aspects of Australia's obligations such as United Nations Security Council (UNSC) imposed sanctions and Australia's autonomous sanctions.
The ABF works in partnership with domestic and international stakeholders to share knowledge, information and expertise that protects the Australian community through detecting, deterring and disrupting the movement of sanctioned goods including through coordinated intelligence and enforcement actions.
The ABF draws upon whole-of-agency resourcing to implement import and export prohibitions including through a dedicated end‑to‑end sanctions enforcement function. This function received funding of $1.2 million over four years from 2024-25 and $0.3 million ongoing from 2028-29 to provide a resource uplift that is now responsible for enforcing border related sanctions obligations, working across the enforcement life‑cycle including targeting, analysis and criminal investigations.
The ABF supports sanctions related outreach activities with industry, research and academia and the private sector to ensure associated border obligations are well understood within the community. The ABF engages internationally to reinforce the governments global commitment to upholding sanctions including through the release of joint products that raise awareness on risks associated with certain activities, such as industry guidance issued under the Export Enforcement Five (E5).
I am grateful for the continued support of our regulatory, intelligence and enforcement partners and the dedicated ABF officers responsible for sanctions enforcement. Thank you, Chair and Committee Members for your time today. I welcome any questions.
