The Sydney Opera House would have been the focus of a major security operation when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the US president, Joe Biden and the prime ministers of India and Japan for the 2023 Quad Leaders’ Summit.
Unfortunately President Biden was not able to attend the Quad Leaders’ Summit. The 2023 Sydney Quad Leaders’ Summit was aiming to “showcase the Quad’s enduring contribution to the region and the tangible benefits we are delivering for Indo-Pacific partners.”
It would have been Biden’s first visit to Australia as US president, and he was also expected to address a joint sitting of the Australian parliament.
The logistical challenges surrounding the event were huge, given the need for strict security arrangements for hosting the leaders. Australian Federal Police (AFP) and other security agencies were expected to be in attendance, both undercover and in uniform, and Secret Service personnel had already been stationed in Sydney weeks beforehand.
Security was going to cost Australia an eye-popping $23 million to host the summit, including nearly $5 million for the AFP to help secure the event, according to the budget announced last October. Some of these costs will not be recouped after Biden’s cancellation, but the Indian Prime Minister is still visiting Australia, so security infrastructure is still high.
The premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns, welcomed the announcement, saying it was “fitting the first Quad Leaders’ Summit on Australian soil will take place in our global city”.
“My government and our agencies have been working hard to ensure the success of this significant event over many months.”
Minns said NSW government agencies, including NSW Police and Transport, were in talks with the federal government and would attempt to “minimise disruption to the Sydney community”.
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Author: Lisa Seltzer, Agilient Consultant