Defence Committee to review proposed legislative frameworks for defence capability and security
Parliament of Australia
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence has commenced a review of the Defence Legislation Amendment (Accelerating Capability and Protecting Bases) Bill 2026.
Committee Chair, Senator Deborah O’Neill, said: ‘In recent decades, defence capability development has become increasingly complex, involving advanced technologies and collaboration across a range of sectors and jurisdictions.
‘This Bill introduces important legislative reforms that support Defence to build capability faster and protect it more effectively. The reforms are intended to ensure Australia’s Defence legislation supports current and future capability requirements under the National Defence Strategy.’
The Bill would amend the Defence Act 1903 to establish a Defence Capability Framework to support capability development and preparedness activities conducted in Australia. The framework would operate through capability declarations to enable specified capability development and preparedness activities. It would also provide a single statutory mechanism for supporting complex capability activities between Defence and its industry and international partners.
The Bill would also establish a Defence Security Zone Framework to protect Defence personnel, activities, information and capability wherever Defence operates. The proposed framework provides for permanent, temporary, mobile or emergency Defence security zones, allowing for tailored security protections. It would also consolidate fragmented arrangements and provide common powers, safeguards, offences and oversight mechanisms, and empower Defence to respond to emerging threats from uncrewed systems.
Additionally, the Bill contains safeguards to expand the roles of the Committee and the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force to include oversight of the operation of the proposed Defence Capability Framework and Defence Security Zone Framework.
Additional information on the review is available on the Committee’s website.
The Committee invites submissions addressing the Bill by Tuesday, 3 November 2026.
Submissions should be prepared solely for this review and should not be published prior to being accepted by the Committee.
Further information about making a submission can be found on the Parliament House website.
Media enquiries
Senator Deborah O’Neill, Chair
Shane McLeod, Chief of Staff
[email protected]
For background information
Committee Secretariat
02 6277 4504
[email protected]
