PM announces intelligence services review

Australia's intelligence agencies are to be reviewed to ensure structures and mechanisms are able to meet current and future challenges.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says, like earlier reviews in 2004 and 2011, it will assess how the intelligence community serves national interests and consider the ongoing suitability of legislative and oversight provisions.

"This is an opportunity to assess whether our current intelligence arrangements, structures and mechanisms are best placed to meet the security challenges we are likely to face in the years ahead," he said in a statement.

Mr Turnbull said the review would be conducted by former top government officials Professor Michael L'Estrange and Stephen Merchant, who will report in the first half of 2017.

He said they were eminently qualified.

Prof L'Estrange has held senior public service positions, including secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and High Commissioner in London. He was the inaugural head of the National Security College.

Mr Merchant has held senior defence and intelligence positions including director of the Defence Signals Directorate and the deputy secretary responsible for the three Defence intelligence agencies.

Mr Turnbull said he had also asked the former head of the Government Communications Headquarters, the UK counterpart of the Australian Signals Directorate, to assist the reviewers.

The Australian intelligence community comprises the Office of National Assessments, Australian Security intelligence Organisation, Australian Secret Intelligence Service, Australian Signals Directorate, Defence Intelligence Organisation and Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation.