Ellison said the SmartGate technology, presently being used to process enrolled Qantas aircrew at Sydney Airport, had attracted interest from government agencies in the United States, Asia and Europe, while discussions were underway with New Zealand authorities over its application there.
The technology is being extended to other international airlines and Australian airports throughout 2003/2004, while the Australian Customs Service will subsequently examine its deployment to general passenger movements.
The system, which undertakes the face-to-passport check presently the province of an ACS officer, uses photo-matching technology to compare a live image taken at the ACS crew control point at Sydney Airport against one or more stored images.
"False travel documents are increasingly being used by criminals, terrorists and illegal entrants," Senator Ellison said.
"Security at Australia's borders is therefore a continuing priority and the introduction of the SmartGate system is another element in ensuring the safety of Australians and Australia".
"ACS is leading the world in its application of photo-matching technology at the border," he said. "Internationally, there is a strong move towards using photo-matching at the border and as the first system of its kind, SmartGate is receiving considerable interest from government agencies in the United States, Asia and Europe".
He said more than 3,000 crew had enrolled to use the SmartGate system, which had recorded more than 10,000 transactions during the two-month pilot undertaken to date.
The Minister said ACS scientific consultants had tested the robustness of the technology across a range of variables, including age, ethnicity, expression, pose and changes in facial appearance such as glasses and facial hair.
"More than 38 million comparisons of live and stored images were performed before a pilot scheme started in November 2002".
