<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/bondi-shooting" rel="" target="" title="The Bondi shooting"><span>The Bondi shooting</span></a><span> is the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/bondi-beach-shooting-list-australia-mass-shootings-gun-violence/a019ffb1-a5ab-48dc-a9fc-d9f246e95722" rel="" target="" title="worst mass shooting since Port Arthur"><span>worst mass shooting since Port Arthur</span></a><span> and the deadliest terror attack on Australian soil.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Prior to the attack, officials said the national terror level was "probable", which indicated there was a 50-50 chance of a terror attack on Australian soil.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>So what does Australia's 'probable' actually mean?</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/bondi-beach-shooting-live-updates-december-16-latest-news-headlines/1e42e1a4-555a-47b9-9bcb-d1419bb04980" target="_blank"><strong><span>Australia mourns as Bondi victims fight for life; Philippines trip by alleged shooters probed</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>What is Australia's current terrorism threat level?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australia's current national terrorism threat level is probable.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The federal government </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/australian-terrorism-threat-level-raised/a58f9470-249f-43a9-901c-8fd8b3d9bb69" rel="" target="_blank" title='raised the level from "possible" to "probable"'><span>raised the level from "possible" to "probable"</span></a><span> in August last year.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/australia-terrorism-threat-level-probable-what-does-that-mean-explainer/9263a225-47d7-4154-a88f-60b8d96f6e10" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>What does the 'probable' mean?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Under the national terrorism advisory system, probable is defined as "a terrorist attack is probable and the government has concerns of a plausible threat".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>When the alert level was raised, Australians were told there "is a greater than 50 per cent chance of an onshore attack or attack planning in the next 12 months".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>However, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said a "probable" alert does not mean "inevitable".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Why was the terrorism threat level changed?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>At the time, intelligence experts said the decision to raise the threat level was not triggered by any single ideology or issue, but an overall rise in polarisation in Australia and other Western nations.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The terror threat level was last changed in 2022, when it was lowered to "possible".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The advice that we have received is that more Australians are embracing a more diverse range of extreme ideologies and it is our responsibility to be vigilant," Albanese said in August last year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/bondi-beach-shooting-heroic-man-disarms-gunman-turns-weapon-on-him/4d5e1253-c12c-4a84-9d42-b92fa175744b" target="_blank"><strong><span>Bondi hero would 'do it again' despite being 'riddled with bullets'</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"To be clear, this is the same threat level that was in place in Australia for more than eight years before it was lowered in November of 2022.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"At that time, we said as a government, it's does not mean the threat from terrorism is extinguished."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The national terrorism threat level is a warning tool to provide the government and the public an indication of what ASIO is seeing and anticipates in the near future.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Will the terrorism threat level change?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In the hours after the attack, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Director-General Mike Burgess maintained the threat level would likely not change from "probable".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I don't see that changing at this stage," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"One incident by itself does not necessarily raise the threat level at the national level, but we keep that under constant review.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Burgess confirmed investigations are ongoing into any other possible threats, after father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram were named as the shooters.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We're looking to see if there's anyone in the community that has similar intent," he said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's important to stress at this point, we have no indications to that fact, but that 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