The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been allocated AU$3 million in the Federal Budget for further research into biometric passports, which could be handed out to Australians within 18 months.

-The Government is also investing in the development of leading edge technology that has the potential to significantly improve passport verification processes. If successfully developed, a biometric identifier could record individual features on a magnetic strip on passports and provide distinctive matching for that individual at airports and other points of entry. This will be funded by an increase in the Passport Fee." said the Treasurer, Peter Costello, in his Budget speech last night.

John Osborne, a researcher with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), passport system and technology group, has been researching biometric identifiers since May 2000, prior to US legislation that is pushing for a biometric ID to be incorporated into passports of visa-waiver countries. Of the Budget he said: "it's a good outcome for us...we've got the money".

The funding, he said, will allow the team to continue research and put a final proposal for a facial passport biometric into next year's budget for consideration. -I'd say we'd be able to do it in 12-18 months," Osborne said when asked when biometric passports were likely to be rolled out to the Australian public. -If we do it right we could be the first in the world to do so," he added.

According to Osborne, the choice of a facial biometric came down to privacy concerns. -We've got to take into account privacy considerations," he said.

Passport applicants already have to submit a photograph that is converted to a digital image. To date, the team has been testing to see if that digital image can be converted into a facial biometric identifier. The use of the digital photograph means -applicants don't have to submit anything more than they already do now," Osborne explained.

Alternatively, to take a biometric algorism of the iris, for example, applicants would have to come in and have a close photograph taken of their eyes and -a lot of people wouldn't be very happy about that," he added.

Whilst a facial biometric is not as accurate as an iris one -it is accurate enough," Osborne said. -On testing we've done so far it's reasonable enough for us to say this is very promising, enough to go to the next step," he added. -A biometric is a mathematical measurement of a part of the body, a very precise measurement, virtually no two are the same."

With allocation from the Budget, the team will be able to move on from carrying out research on an -ad hoc basis" to -full-scale research", according to Osborne.

-Now we'll able to move forward, not without trepidation but with a certain amount of quiet confidence" he said. -Now we'll see if we can do that in a real sense."

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