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The federal government today raised Australia's National Terrorism Threat Level from "possible" to "probable".
A threat level of "probable", under the current system, says there is a greater than fifty per cent chance of an onshore attack or attack planning in the next twelve months.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the move following a meeting of the national security committee and cabinet this morning. He stressed that "probable" does not mean "inevitable".
READ MORE: What does raising the terror threat level to 'probable' mean for Australia
Intelligence experts say the decision to raise the threat level was not triggered by any single ideology or issue, but reported an overall rise in polarisation in Australia and other Western nations.
The terror threat level was last changed in 2022 when it was lowered to "possible".
Albanese said he sought to reassure Australians that "probable does not mean inevitable and it does not mean it is intelligence about an imminent threat or danger."
"But the advice that we have received is that more Australians are embracing a more diverse range of extreme ideologies and it is our responsibility to be vigilant," he said.
"To be clear, this is the same threat level that was in place in Australia for more than eight years before it was lowered in November of 2022.
"At that time, we said as a government, it's does not mean the threat from terrorism is extinguished.
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"Since then we have seen a global rise in politically motivated violence and extremist. Many democracies are working to address this including our friends in the United States and in the United Kingdom."
Speaking alongside Albanese, the director-general of Australia's domestic intelligence service ASIO, Mike Burgess, said that the country's security environment is "more volatile and more unpredictable".
"More Australians are embracing a more diverse range of extreme ideologies and more Australians are willing to use violence to advance their cause.
"Politically motivated violence now joins espionage and foreign interference is our principal security concerns."
Burgess also stressed that "probable does not mean inevitable", but radical and inflammatory views "are being normalised."
"This trend increased during Covid and gained momentum after the terrorist attacks on Israel, and accelerated during Israel's military response… Individuals are embracing anti-authority ideologies, conspiracy theories, and diverse grievances.
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