On 9 November 2020, the Department of Home Affairs released the Exposure Draft of the Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure) Bill 2020. The Bill seeks to amend the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 to implement an enhanced framework to uplift the security and resilience of Australia’s critical infrastructure.
The AER provided its submission on 27 November 2020.
Consultation paper
On 12 August 2020, the Department of Home Affairs released the Protecting Critical Infrastructure and Systems of National Significance consultation paper on proposed reforms to the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018.
The proposed reforms cover a range of sectors, including energy. The proposed reforms include:
- A positive security obligation for critical infrastructure entities, supported by sector‑specific requirements
- Enhanced cyber security obligations for those entities most important to the nation, and
- Government assistance to entities in response to significant cyber attacks on Australian systems.
The AER provided its submission on 16 September 2020.
Critical infrastructure asset definition rules
Building on engagement during the development of the Bill, the Department of Home Affairs released their Critical Infrastructure Asset Definition Rules paper with draft definitions for the 12 asset classes.
The AER provided its submission on 14 May 2021.