Health Emergency Preparedness and Response
Critical Infrastructure Resilience - Health Sector Group
This page provides information on the Health Sector Group (formerly known as the Health Infrastructure Assurance Advisory Group or HIAAG).
Public Health Information Hotline
Call 1800 004 599
1800 123 400
- Level of Pandemic Threat: Australia Level PROTECT - Overseas Level 6
The Attorney-General's Department (AGD) provides strategic leadership on critical infrastructure matters and works closely with other Commonwealth agencies, states and territories and the business sector to ensure that Australia’s critical infrastructure is better protected and more resilient in the event of a disaster or emergency.
From Critical Infrastructure Protection to Critical Infrastructure Resilience
On 30 June 2010 the Attorney-General, the Hon. Robert McClelland MP, launched the Australian Government’s Critical Infrastructure Resilience Strategy. The strategy aims to achieve the continued provision of essential services that support Australia’s national security, economic prosperity, and social and community wellbeing in the face of all hazards.The Critical Infrastructure Resilience Strategy signals a shift in thinking about critical infrastructure matters from a paradigm of ‘protection’ to one of ‘resilience’. The concept of Critical Infrastructure Resilience is designed to broaden our thinking about critical infrastructure issues to include non-traditional threats such as organised crime, natural disasters and pandemics. While these threats have previously been addressed through other government mechanisms, they have only recently been brought under the national security umbrella. This reflects a broadening of the concept of national security to include threats from all hazards.
The Trusted Information Sharing Network
A key imperative of the Critical Infrastructure Resilience Strategy is to have an effective business-government partnership with critical infrastructure owners and operators.The Trusted Information Sharing Network (TISN), established by the AGD in 2003, provides an environment where business and government can share vital information on security issues relevant to Critical Infrastructure Resilience.
The TISN agenda is driven by critical infrastructure owners and operators, and is made up of:
- seven Sector Groups (banking and finance, communications, energy, food chain, transport, water services and health);
- two Expert Advisory Groups (resilience and IT security);
- one Oil and Gas Security Forum (a sub-group of the Energy Sector Group); and
- Communities of Interest.
The Critical Infrastructure Advisory Council oversees the groups of the TISN, and advises the Attorney-General on the Australian Government’s approach to critical infrastructure resilience. Each of the Sector Groups, the states and territories, relevant Australian Government agencies, the Australian Local Government Association, and the National Counter-Terrorism Committee are represented on the Advisory Council.
Further information on the TISN can be found at www.tisn.gov.au The Critical Infrastructure Resilience Strategy can also be downloaded from this website.
The Health Sector Group
The Department of Health and Ageing is working in partnership with owners and operators of critical health infrastructure by providing advice and secretariat support to the Health Sector Group.The Health Sector Group’s primary role is to highlight specific health sector issues that may impact upon the safety and security of the health of the community and promote strategies for owners and operators of critical health infrastructure to be more resilient in the face of all hazards.
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Membership
The Health Sector Group is chaired by Ms Elizabeth de Somer, Regulatory Affairs Manager of Medicines Australia, and comprises representatives of the owners and operators of health sector critical infrastructure.The Health Sector Group holds face to face meetings twice a year, with teleconferences through the year. The membership of the Health Sector Group currently includes the following:
- Medicines Australia
- Australian Medical Association (AMA)
- Catholic Health Australia
- Australia New Zealand Industrial Gas Association (ANZIGA)
- Australian Self-Medication Industry (ASMI)
- Australian Private Hospital Association
- CSL Limited
- Australian Red Cross Blood Service
- Health Communication Network
- Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA)
- Australian Association of Pathology Practices (AAPP)
- Council of Ambulance Authorities (CAA)
- Sanofi Pasteur ANZ
- and representatives of the Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA), Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), National Blood Authority (NBA), Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C), the Attorney-General’s Department (AGD) and State and Police and Territory Counter-Terrorism (CT) Units.
- Royal Flying Doctor Service
- The Pharmacy Guild of Australia
- Australia and New Zealand Burn Association
- Australian Red Cross Society
- Private Health Insurance Administration Council (PHIAC)
- Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS)
- Health Services Australia
