Australia’s spy chief has warned of “unprecedented” terror threats facing the nation in an ominous address six months after the Bondi shooting.

ASIO director-general Mike Burgess also defended resourcing levels, saying staffing in counter-terrorism had doubled in 10 years.

In his annual threat assessment on Wednesday night, Burgess said ASIO had foiled 31 major terrorism plots since 2014. Since Bondi, he said 14 cases had been resolved.

Burgess revealed that changes are being considered to Australia’s terrorism threat level system.

The nation’s current terrorism threat level is probable, meaning there is a greater than 50 per cent chance of an onshore attack, or attack planning in the next 12 months.

But Burgess said the level “does not tell the full story”.

“I do not believe the system was designed for a situation like the one we now face,” he said.

“This is where a degrading security environment intersects with a diverse one.

“In the current climate, it is too simplistic to assume there is a single terrorism threat or a most likely terrorist threat.”

There was a minute’s silence ahead of Burgess’ speech for the victims of Australia’s worst terror attack at Bondi, which targeted Jewish Australians.

People at the event in Canberra – which included senior defence force officers, federal police and politicians — were shown a video that collated news reports depicting fraying social cohesion in Australia.

It showed pro-Palestinian protesters clashing with police, the march over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, white nationalists, neo-Nazis and the aftermath of December’s Bondi terror attack.

As the royal commission into antisemitism examines intelligence agencies in the aftermath of the Bondi attack, Burgess said even as surging espionage and foreign interference demanded more attention “countering terrorism remained a priority”.

“We increased CT (counter terrorism) resourcing when we raised the threat level in 2024 and it continued to grow in the months before Bondi,” he said.

“Resourcing followed the threat.”

He also revealed an Australian based in Iran and an ex-resident now in Iraq masterminded fire-bombings of a Jewish deli in Sydney and a synagogue in Melbourne.

-with AAP