Australian PM Anthony Albanese was moved from his Canberra residence following a safety threat

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Photo / Getty Images

Australia’s Prime Minister was evacuated from his official residence in Canberra on Tuesday evening following a safety threat.

Anthony Albanese was moved from The Lodge to an alternative secure location as a precaution after police were called to the property at about 6pm local time.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed officers responded to what it described as an “alleged security incident” within the Australian Capital Territory.

“A thorough search of a protection establishment was undertaken and nothing suspicious was located,” the force said in a statement.

“There is no current threat to the community or public safety.”

Albanese has told sources that he is safe, according to Sky News Australia.

While it is not yet known what the specific threat was, David Craig, a former AFP detective superintendent, told Sky News that evacuating the prime minister was a “significant move”.

“This isn’t some online threat... There must be some corroboration to it for [police] to act this way,” Craig said.

It comes days after a 20-year-old man was charged after allegedly throwing a rock and a fake explosive device through the window of the well-known Hyatt Hotel in Canberra.

Last week, an armed man was also shot dead after entering the secure perimeter of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. The US president was in Washington, DC.

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