Statistics from today's annual report to the national parliament on the Surveillance Devices Act 2004 (Cth):
• In 2023–24, 6 law enforcement agencies were issued 636 surveillance device warrants, a decrease of 46 from the 682 issued in 2022–23.
• In 2023–24, 12 applications for surveillance device warrants were refused by an issuing authority, compared to the one refused in 2022–23.
• In 2023–24, 18 computer access warrants were issued to law enforcement agencies, an increase of 7 from the 11 issued in 2022–23. No computer access warrants were refused in 2023-24, compared to 2022–23 where one computer access warrant was refused.
• One data disruption warrant was issued during 2023–24, an increase of 1 from the 0 issued in 2022–23. No data disruption warrants were refused in 2022–23 or in 2023-24.
• In 2023–24, 2 network activity warrants were issued, a decrease of one from the 3 issued in 2022–23. No network activity warrants were refused in 2022–23 or 2023–24.
• In 2023–24, 244 applications to extend surveillance device warrants were granted, representing an increase of 145 from the 99 granted in 2022–23. Applications to extend warrants are often required due to the prolonged nature of investigations for complex and serious crime (where evidence gathering may not have been completed within 90 days).
• In 2023–24, 17 retrieval warrants were issued to law enforcement agencies in order to retrieve lawfully installed surveillance devices, a decrease of 4 from the 21 issued in 2022–23.
• In 2023–24, 10 tracking device authorisations were issued, a decrease of 7 from the 17 issued in 2022–23. No tracking device retrieval authorisations were issued in 2023-24, as was the case in 2022–23.
• In 2023–24, information obtained under the SD Act contributed to 148 arrests, 102 prosecutions, and 18 convictions. In 2022-23, information obtained under the SD Act contributed to 75 arrests, 87 prosecutions and 52 convictions.