Australia to implement new terrorism alert system

Australia's terrorism alert system will be changed by the end of 2015 after a meeting of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in Sydney on Thursday agreed to take the approach, subject to community consultation.

The new threat levels will be certain, expected, probable, possible and not expected, which Prime Minister Tony Abbott thinks will be much easier for the public to understand.

Speaking at the conclusion of the COAG summit in Sydney, Abbott also called on Australian men to combat domestic violence and violence against women after the summit was addressed by anti- violence campaigner and Australian of the year Rosie Batty.

The leaders agreed that men are central to the issue of domestic violence in Australia.

"Bad attitudes towards women mean bad outcome for women," Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said. "We are very close to having a true national plan that will save lives."

"Fathers have got to say to sons that it's just not on to raise your hand against a woman," Abbott said. "Mates have got to say to mates that it's just not on to raise your hand against a woman, or to tell that appalling sexist joke."

The COAG leaders got together in Sydney on Wednesday and Thursday aimed to formulate and discuss ideas for the future shape of the Australia's Federation and the carve-up of its responsibilities.

All participants have said it was an incredibly constructive meeting.

"What we saw over the past 24 hours was people putting down their political badges and taking up the challenges that we are facing and it was done in a constructive spirit," New South Wales Premier Mike Baird said. Endi