Australian state gets counter-terrorism funding increase

Premier Daniel Andrews of Australia's Victoria state announced on Wednesday a significant funding boost for counter-terrorism resources in the wake of the Paris attacks.

Andrews said the 36.3 million U.S.-dollar funding increase will be used to purchase new specialist equipment to assess terrorism threats and allow Victoria Police to hire 88 new investigators.

The increase in spending will result in a doubling of the number of people working in counter-terrorism in Victoria.

Following the recent terror attacks in Paris and Mali, the premier said that it was important that Melbourne had the resources to deal with any security threats and violent attacks.

"Recent events in Paris and in other parts of the world show that we can never be complacent when it comes to the threat of violent extremists," Andrews said.

"The clear intention is to strengthen Victoria Police's capacity to help prevent attacks in the future.

"Police and national security agencies are working around the clock to monitor and respond to potential risks and we will always support then in keeping Victorians safe."

With current resources in Victoria stretched to their limit, and the counter-terrorism hotline receiving hundreds of calls over the past few months, Andrews said the funding boost had come at a good time. Enditem