Program · Outcome 1: Defend Australia and its national interests through the conduct of operations and provision of support for the Australian community and civilian authorities in accordance with Government direction.

Program 1.3 - Defence Contribution to National Support Tasks in Australia

Program objective, as stated by the agency

To undertake tasks that include: planning and conduct of operations to provide security of the Australian coastline from unauthorised maritime arrivals, smuggling, quarantine evasion and other intrusions to Australian sovereignty; counter-terrorism responses; search and rescue; humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Defence contributes to the Department of Home Affairs civil surveillance program and Maritime Border Command tasking, providing maritime surveillance assets that are tasked routinely in accordance with the Government's direction. Defence, through the Defence Assistance to the Civil Community program, supports the Commonwealth and state/territory governments with emergency and non-emergency tasks, as well as supporting events of national significance as requested by relevant authorities and the general public.

Department of Defence, 2026-27 Portfolio Budget Statements, PDF page 50 reported

$166m 2026-27 Budget estimate

+$35m (+27.1%) on 2025-26 estimated actual

Traced to named suppliers and grant recipients

AusTender and GrantConnect record the agency, not the program, so contracts and grants are shown on the entity page.

Published lines

Each row is one line of the program’s expense table in the 2026-27 Portfolio Budget Statements – Program Expense Line Items, as published.

Line	Kind	2025-26 estimated actual	2026-27 Budget estimate	Change	Treatment	Source
Expenditure funded by appropriations	departmental	$130m	$166m	+$35m +27.1%	reported	Table 12: Total Budgeted Resources Available for Outcome 1, row 297
Revenues from other sources	departmental	$0	$0	no change –	reported	Table 12: Total Budgeted Resources Available for Outcome 1, row 296