Reducing the impact of network disruption

Queensland Disaster Management Arrangements

The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) leads recovery and reconstruction of state-controlled roads and transport networks in disaster-affected communities, including being the lead agency for ship-sourced pollution events.

During a disruptive event TMR supports the State Disaster Coordination Centre, through trained Liaison Officers who provide state-wide situational awareness reporting. In 2024–25, TMR supported disaster response activities for Bushfires, North Queensland Flooding, Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, and Western Queensland Flooding.

Beyond the high risk weather season, proactive planning and preparedness efforts include targeted district and regional preseason disaster management training. Through discussion-based exercises, key staff and stakeholders strengthen networks, refine roles and responsibilities, and build their capability in disaster response and recovery.

TMR maintains a robust business continuity management program, reinforced by the Continuity and Disruption Management Policy. This ensures business areas conduct annual exercises, keeping documentation current and readily accessible to all staff.

Queensland Transport Security Program

TMR works in partnership with the Queensland surface transport industry to have in place arrangements to protect the community and the surface transport system from terrorism and other security threats. The program includes:

• regulating security-identified surface transport operations under the Surface Transport (Counter-Terrorism) Act 2008
• leading the Transport Precinct Security Program to support an integrated and consistent approach to security and emergency management

• membership on a range of national and state security committees, such as the Queensland Security and Counter-Terrorism Committee, Critical Infrastructure Resilience Working Group, and the Trusted Information Sharing Network Land Transport Security Group
• delivering a Protective Security Framework to protect TMR's people, information, and assets.

Information and Communication Technology Asset Disaster Recovery

In 2024–25, climate change, complex supply chains, and increasing risk of cyber-attacks remain dominant threats. According to the Australian Signals Directorate Annual Cyber Threat Report 2023–2024, on average, a cybercrime is reported every six minutes and the number of calls from individuals and businesses seeking assistance on cybercrime has increased 12 per cent for the 2023–2024 period compared to the previous 12 months. Additionally, the number of publicly reported security vulnerabilities and exposures has increased 31 per cent over the same period. In response to those statistics and threats, it is more important than ever that TMR remain focused on improving the capability and resiliency of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) systems to minimise the likelihood and impact of an outage disrupting services to the community.

In 2024–25, TMR has prioritised a number of key areas to mitigate these threats:

• continuing to mature an Information Security Management System
• ensuring security, privacy, and resiliency are always incorporated into solution design
• enhancing cyber defence capability, including heighted monitoring and responsiveness
• remaining vigilant in identifying any risk exposure and mitigating identified security vulnerabilities
• reinforcing and growing TMR's cyber and privacy orientated culture
• re-affirming disaster recovery capabilities of critical ICT systems
• participating in national, state, and cross-industry committees and forums on cyber security and resiliency.

In addition to internally focused improvements on cyber resilience, TMR also proactively worked with stakeholders across different levels of government and industry with shared cyber security interests. TMR has successfully participated in a number of cyber incident response workshops and business continuity exercises at the state and national level during 2024–25. This regular participation and exercising of response procedures ensures a well-coordinated response to a potential large-scale disruptive event should one eventuate.