Melbourne: The nature of terrorism is changing and there will be more terror attacks this year as the threat from the radicalised groups and individuals has been underestimated, a leading Australian counter-terrorism expert has said.

"This year is going to be a year of terrorism in the sense that I think we are going to see more small scale attacks," Clarke Jones from Australian National University has warned. Jones said there was a growing concern about violent extremists and the threat of attacks, said Jones who is among a group of global experts working to set up country's first Centre for Intervention and Countering Violent Extremism.