Australia’s strategy for managing national security is set out in a number of complex and interrelated policy documents that span multiple agencies. This paper summarises key parts of the federal critical infrastructure protection policy trajectory in the period 1978 – 2010.

The research was designed to answer the following questions:

1. How has Australia’s federal critical infrastructure policy developed in the 30 year period from 1978 to 2010, and why?

2. How and to what extent has that development reflected:

• a. A direct influence of policy transfer from the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (USA) to Emergency Management in Australia?
• b. Industry’s changing role over the 30 year period?
• c. Contributions to the current federal legislative framework for critical infrastructure protection?