A national database of hate crimes will help law enforcement paint a more accurate picture of hate crimes perpetrated against First Peoples.
The comments from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to a parliamentary inquiry comes as a report by the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has found that data on race and racism across the country is fragmented or collected inconsistently.
In its response to a question on notice in the Senate inquiry into racism and hate towards First Peoples, the AFP agreed that a national Hate Crime Database would improve the reporting and investigation of offences against First Peoples.
"The AFP has contributed to the ongoing development of a national hate crime and incidents database and continues to provide regular input to the Australian Institute of Criminology to maintain the database," they said.
"A national collection of hate crime data will provide law enforcement and the Australian community with a more accurate picture of the incidence of hate crimes, including those affecting First Nations peoples and other members of our community, and supports the development of more targeted reporting mechanisms and investigative responses."
Ideologically Motivated Violent Extremist (IMVE) accounted for "just under one-third of the ideology exhibited by individuals charged with terrorism offences" in 2026, the AFP said, but noted they had "not observed an increase in ideologically motivated threats targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities".
"The AFP does not undertake broad-based monitoring of the internet," they said. "The AFP's current counter terrorism caseload reflects an ideologically diffused landscape, with threats emerging across ideologically motivated violent extremism, including nationalist and racist violent extremism."
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The federal government established the Senate inquiry in the wake of a series of high-profile racist incidents, including the alleged terror attack in Boorloo on January 26, the alleged attacks on Camp Sovereignty by neo-Nazis last year, and the booing of Elders delivering a Welcome to Country on Anzac Day.
Concluding earlier this year, the committee received close to 1,000 submissions, many detailing the toll of racism, especially on children and families.
Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman told AAP that experiences of racism were severely undercounted or erased, making the "critical problem" harder to tackle.
"We're missing so much of the picture at the moment," Mr Sivaraman said.
"Racist violence is on our streets in the worst possible way.
"Yet we still don't have good means of collecting data on where racism is occurring, who it is affecting, and what solutions will work best."
In its submission to the inquiry, the First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group argued that racism, hate and violence directed at First Nations people are both systemic and deeply embedded in the online world.
Research cited by the group found that 68 per cent of First Nations children have experienced hurtful or nasty treatment online, compared with a national average of 45 per cent.
First Nations children are also almost three times more likely to experience online hate speech, while around three in ten have received offensive comments because of their personal characteristics, compared with one in ten children overall.
"Racism toward First Nations people has shifted significantly into online environments, where anonymity, scale and algorithms increase harm," the group submitted.
"Social media platforms accelerate reach, repetition and normalisation, meaning the harm that once may have stayed local can now be scaled nationally in minutes, often with very little editorial control or accountability."
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Mr Sivaraman said there were numerous barriers preventing people from reporting racism, including fear of retaliation. He noted that the person who reports racism often "suffers far more than the perpetrator".
"Another problem is that people often think, 'well, nothing's going to happen if I report it'," he said.
The AHRC has called for a national anti-racism plan that would involve establishing an advisory group with First Nations representatives, as well as representatives from other communities.
Mr Sivaraman said the country had a troubled history of data collection, including collecting data to remove First Nations children from their families and force families into settlements.
"What we need is a new way of collecting data with First Peoples that's co-designed, that is on a strengths basis, and most importantly, that ensures data sovereignty for First Peoples."
With AAP
