Counter-terrorism centre opened by PM

Australia's new counter-terrorism centre will make use if internet chatter and phone intercepts among other intelligence to help investigate the hundreds of potential terrorist attacks on Australian interests currently under investigation.

According to ASIO chief David Irvine, speaking at the formal opening of a counter-terrorism control centre at ASIO headquarters in Canberra by Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Attorney-General Robert McClelland, Australia's spooks were working hard to address terrorist threats.

"The threat is real," Mr Irvine told reporters in a rare public appearance on Thursday.

Ms Gillard said the failed attack on Northwest Airlines flight 253 in late 2009 demonstrated the need for national security agencies to operate seamlessly in sharing information and intelligence, to combat terrorism and other national security threats.

The centre aims to bring together the many streams of intelligence that come into ASIO every hour.

Everything from internet chatter to phone intercepts is combed by ASIO in its attempts to stay ahead of the scores of groups and individuals threatening Australia.

"ASIO receives millions of pieces of information every year," Mr Irvine said.

But, he warned, ASIO could not do the job alone and that was one of the reasons behind the centre.

Staff from the federal police and other intelligence bodies like the Defence Signals Directorate would be seconded to the centre.

"Governments need to be carefully integrated ... to be effective against terrorists," Mr Irvine said.

Mr McClelland is the minister responsible for ASIO and its counterparts in the secret world of espionage and intelligence gathering.

While he was quick to praise staff at the organisation, he remained wary of future threats.

"These successes do not mean that we can rest on our laurels," Mr McClelland said.

The counter-terrorism control centre was originally promised by the government in its white paper on the issue, issued earlier this year.

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