Police Powers and Responsibilities Act 2000

An action is a terrorist act if—

it does any of the following—

causes serious harm that is physical harm to a person;

causes serious damage to property;

causes a person’s death;

endangers the life of someone other than the person taking the action;

creates a serious risk to the health or safety of the public or a section of the public;

seriously interferes with, seriously disrupts, or destroys an electronic system; and

it is done with the intention of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause; and

it is done with the intention of—

coercing, or influencing by intimidation, the government of the Commonwealth, a State or a foreign country, or of part of a State or a foreign country; or

intimidating the public or a section of the public.

A threat of action is a terrorist act if—

the threatened action is likely to do anything mentioned in subsection (1)(a)(i) to (vi); and

the threat is made with the intentions mentioned in subsection (1)(b) and (c).

However, an action or threat of action is not a terrorist act if the action or threatened action—

is advocacy, protest, dissent or industrial action; and

is not intended—

to cause serious harm that is physical harm to a person; or

to cause a person’s death; or

to endanger the life of a person, other than the person taking the action; or

to create a serious risk to the health or safety of the public or a section of the public.

Terrorism is—

criminal activity that involves a terrorist act; or

something that is—

preparatory to the commission of criminal activity that involves a terrorist act; or

undertaken to avoid detection of, or prosecution for, criminal activity that involves a terrorist act.

A reference in this section to a person or property is a reference to a person or property wherever situated, within or outside the State (including within or outside Australia).

In this section—electronic system includes any of the following electronic systems—

an information system;

a telecommunications system;

a financial system;

a system used for the delivery of essential government services;

a system used for, or by, an essential public utility;

a system used for, or by, a transport system.

endangers, or is likely to endanger, a person’s life; or

is, or is likely to be, significant and longstanding.