Vow to quash terrorism after Sydney 'changed forever'

Sydney has “changed forever” after the Bondi massacre, Chris Minns says as he vows to leave no stone unturned to combat terrorism.

After a trying 10 days since the Bondi massacre and the overnight passage of unprecedented emergency gun control and protest laws, the NSW premier said more hard-hitting legal changes were coming.

“Sydney and NSW have changed forever as a result of that terrorist activity last Sunday,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

“We’re currently looking at other areas of the law that are urgently required to confront hate speech (and) confront Islamist terrorism in our community.”

Authorities have said the anti-Semitic attack where 15 people were killed was inspired by Islamic State after two home-made flags bearing the radical militant group’s insignia were found by police.

“If anyone’s hoping to divide Australian against Australian in Australia’s largest jurisdiction, then we’ll do everything we possibly can to confront it,” Mr Minns vowed.

His comments came hours after he succeeded in pushing through legislation to cap gun ownership, limit magazine capacity and tighten regulation around licences.

The marathon debate in the upper house ended about 3am on Wednesday after parliament was urgently recalled following the mass shooting - Australia’s most deadly since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.

Omnibus legislation spanning gun reform, protest restrictions and hate speech crackdowns passed 18 to eight votes after a two-day emergency session.

It is due to be rubber-stamped in the lower house later in the day.

The reforms were supported by the Liberals but not their junior coalition partner the Nationals, who opposed further firearm restrictions.

While taking a bipartisan approach in her first test as newly installed opposition leader, Kellie Sloane ended the year with a parting shot at the government, saying the core issue was anti-Semitism, not gun control.

The laws passed with a last-minute amendment from the Greens to ban gun ownership for anyone investigated for terrorism-related offences, as well as members of their households.

Federal Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said information sharing between national and state agencies about gun licence-holders was a crucial gap that needed to be plugged.

The slain 50-year-old gunman Sajid Akram legally bought three guns in one day in 2023 after his 24-year-old son and accomplice Naveed was investigated by ASIO in 2019.

The federal government has pledged to make information sharing with states more transparent by giving them “a warning light” about a person of interest who hasn’t committed a crime.

Contentious police powers to prevent public gatherings after a terrorist event also passed but will face a legal challenge as opponents brand the changes draconian and an overreach.

Moving public assemblies can be restricted for up to 90 days following a declared terrorist incident, with the police commissioner given the discretion to decide on how far the designation can be extended.

Mr Minns pointed to similar laws being drafted in Victoria, arguing the changes “are proportionate but necessary measures in the circumstances we are in”.

When pressed about a possible visit by Israeli president Isaac Herzog after Anthony Albanese invited him and how police would manage potential protests, Mr Minns said: “I hope that peace prevails, but I can’t guarantee it”.

“We need to have rules in place that apply to everybody with the view to keeping the city and the state safe,” he said.

Striking a unifying tone, the premier reflected on the fallout from one of the country’s worst tragedies after visiting a mosque on Tuesday that lit a menorah in solidarity with the Jewish community.

“We’re not going to beat this hate with more hate. We’ve got to come together,” he said.

“As difficult as it is, as many disagreements as we have, our only real prospect of getting through this in the long run is if Australians pull together.”