Within months state governments will find it easier to ask the defence force to help their police respond to terrorism incidents.
Draft laws that change call-out laws will be introduced to federal parliament shortly and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull expects them to pass early in 2018.
Under existing arrangements states have to declare a situation out of control and beyond their resources before the military can be called in to assist local authorities.
"It simply creates more flexibility," Mr Turnbull told reporters in Canberra of a planned change to the Defence Act which was not fit for purpose now.
Deploying the military would be a joint decision of the prime minister and state premier, he said.
Mr Turnbull noted defence special forces were already assisting state police forces with specialist training.
