Australian Defence Committee Inquires into Civil Preparedness and Supply Chain Vulnerabilities
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence has launched an inquiry into Australia's national civil preparedness, evaluating supply chain resilience, government continuity, and essential services during global crises.
Harry Taruva 
Canberra — The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence has formally initiated a comprehensive inquiry into Australia’s national civil preparedness and resilience, amid deteriorating global strategic conditions and expanding international supply chain vulnerabilities.
The bipartisan inquiry will evaluate whole-of-nation capability to withstand severe external shocks, focusing on essential supply maintenance, including liquid fuel reserves, continuity of government and inter-governmental coordination across state, territory, and local jurisdictions alongside private sector networks.
Committee Chair, Senator Deborah O’Neill, stated that recent international conflicts have highlighted Australia’s exposure to global trade disruptions, necessitating a broadened national defense strategy that moves beyond military forces to encompass civil society and private industry.
“There is no more important task than the defence of the nation,” Senator O’Neill said.
“The task of defending the nation and deterring assaults on our sovereignty falls not only to armed service men and women but to every Australian and engages every sector of the economy and our civil society.
The task of readying for the security of Australia impels us to assess the civil preparedness and resilience of our nation," she said.
Deputy Chair Senator Dave Sharma emphasised that heightening sovereign self-reliance is critical to ensuring essential services remain operational during major geopolitical crises.
The Committee has opened public consultation and is accepting formal submissions responding to the terms of reference until Friday, 6 November 2026.
