Maritime security is of vital importance to Australia and New Zealand as both countries depend on maritime transport for their economic survival. Since the events of September 11th 2001, significant questions have been raised as to whether Australia and New Zealand are adequately prepared for the consequences of a major disruption to global shipping following a terrorist attack on a leading regional port such as Hong Kong or Singapore. Considerable efforts have also been undertaken to improve responses to an array of maritime security threats, such as transnational crime, environmental poll