AUSTRALIAN taxpayers have coughed up almost $20 billion to protect the country fromterrorism since September 11, 2001.
New figures show that, by 2011, the Federal Government will have spent more than $17 billion on direct measures to beef-up national security, since the 2001 al-Qaida attacks in the US.
Subsequently, the Howard government involved Australia in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Billions more have been spent by other federal agencies such as Customs and Transport, as well as state governments and big companies such as Woodside and BHP, to protect cities and infrastructure.
An analysis of federal spending shows the big years were: 2003-04, with an extra $1.8 billion; 2002-03, $1.3 billion; and 2005-06, $1 billion.
The biggest winners have been defence and spying agencies, with resources for ASIO alone jumping by 514 per cent.
The budget for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation has climbed from $69 million in 2001-02 to $423 million next year.
Australian Strategic Policy Institute figures show that the Australian Secret Intelligence Service has received a 236 per cent funding boost.
Spending on the Office of National Assessments will grow by 441 per cent from $7 million to $38 million next year.
However, the lion’s share of extra cash has gone to defence, where the budget expanded from $13.7 billion in 2001 to $22 billion next year. However, there are signs that the spending binge is slowing, with new national security funding in the 2008-09 Budget ($283 million) the lowest since 2002.
The total cost of direct post-9/11 government security initiatives has been $10.4 billion and more than $2 billion of that has gone to intelligence agencies.
When operations in Afghanistan ($2.1 billion) and Iraq ($2.3 billion) are added, the total climbs to $14.9 billion. Additional aid funds of $1.5 billion to both countries brings the total to $16.4 billon.
The Australian Federal Police received a 161 per cent post-9/11 windfall, taking its annual budget to $1.4 billion.
A major review of Australia’s national security structure is due out later this year.