Member for Riverina Michael McCormack believed the raids in Sydney and Brisbane on Thursday, which saw 15 arrested and one charged under the belief a public beheading was planned in the name of militant group Islamic State (ISIS), were necessary in the interest of national security.

"The first priority of government is to safeguard our community," Mr McCormack said.

"It's just not the government, though, who thought the raids were necessary.

"The Australian Federal Police and security services agreed they needed to happen.

"There were some very disturbing threats that certainly led to them to undertake this operation."

Mr McCormack stressed a joint effort was needed to counter the insidious nature of terror.

"I think people would expect a government to decide things in the interest of the community," he said.

"We can't be cynical and complacent about the threat of terror.

"It is real.

"It does exist.

"I think everybody can play their part.

"You just never know when these things may happen."

Mr McCormack described his concerns about ISIS.

"I don't like to call them a state," he said.

"They're a movement.

"They're not building states, they're destroying states.

"They are evil by any stretch of the imagination."

He clarified the raids had nothing to do with Islam as a religion and didn't expect them to have negative implications on the local Islamic community.

"This is not about religion.

"This is about a terror movement.

"This is not an operation against religion.

"It is an operation against terror.

Mr McCormack denied his electorate should feel unsafe.

"It's one of those things, we can't ever be too complacent.

"We can't ever be sure it won't occur on our own shore.

"We lost three of our own in Bali bombings from Leeton, Coolamon and Wagga."

Mr McCormack held no doubt security measures at the Wagga Airport and Kapooka Defence Base were suitable, whether increased measures were made public or not.