Interim Bondi Royal Commission Report Finds Police Monitoring Hanukah Event Told Not To Stay

The royal commission’s interim report has found that although there were no gaps in the legal framework that could have prevented the Bondi Beach terror attack, New South Wales Police had been warned about the likelihood of a terror attack at the Chanukah by the Sea festival.

Delivered on Thursday morning by commissioner Virginia Bell, the interim report for the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion established following December’s terror attack found that there we no gaps in the current laws that could have prevented the shooting.

15 people were killed and 40 others injured after a Chanukah by the Sea was attacked by two alleged Islamic State-inspired gunmen, Gunman Naveed Akram and his father Sajid Akram, who was killed by police at the scene.

The report includes 14 recommendations, five of which haven’t been made public, with classified intelligent information and material relating to pending criminal proceedings having been removed.

Among the findings, Commissioner Bell found that no urgent counter-terrorism reforms were required, but that all levels of government could improve such capabilities.

“No agency, either Commonwealth or state, advised that urgent legislative or regulatory reforms are required in order to prevent, detect or respond to an attack of a similar nature to the Bondi attack,” Bell found in the report.

“No agency has suggested that the current legislative framework prevented intelligence or law enforcement agencies from taking action that may have prevented the Bondi attack.”

One of the recommendations included improved access to the Australian Firearms Information Network (AFIN), with Bell writing it was “important that law enforcement and intelligence agencies have timely access to accurate firearms data, to improve the chances of detecting terrorist attacks before they occur.”

Although the response of the NSW police is contained in the confidential interim report due to the ongoing criminal proceedings involving one of the alleged shooters, Naveed Akram, the report detailed that Jewish security organisation Community Security Group NSW (CSG NSW) had requested police assistance for their upcoming events.

On 8 December, an email sent to NSW police advising them of the Chanukah by the Sea event and 12 other Jewish community events in the eastern suburbs, and notified them of a “likely” antisemitic attack.

“A terrorist attack against the NSW Jewish Community is likely and there is a high level of antisemitic vilification,” the CSG said in the email, detailed in the report.

The commission reported that CSG NSW were told NSW Police were unable to provide “static resources”, but would have mobile patrols to “check in and monitor” the event.

Three general duties officers and one supervisor were assigned to the Chanukah by the Sea event, with an officer from the Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command attending the event at “various times”. An email sent only days before the attack told the allocated officers there was “no need to stay the entire duration, but your presence will ensure the community feel safe”.

No written risk assessment for Chanukah by the Sea has been found, or could be provided by NSW Police.

Public hearings to begin next week

The interim report said no conclusions had yet been reached regarding intelligence failures or police resourcing prior to the attack.

“While systemic aspects of the effectiveness of Commonwealth and state intelligence and law enforcement … are addressed in this interim report, important issues arising from the Bondi attack, including whether there was any failure to identify and act upon intelligence in the lead up to it, or in the allocation of police resources to the Chanukah event, will be addressed in hearings,” the report said.

“No conclusion in these respects can be reached on a review of the agencies’ documents alone and in the absence of according procedural fairness to any person or agency at risk of an adverse finding.”

Prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said the government would implement all relevant recommendations.

“I can confirm that the national security committee has met this morning and we have adopted and will implement all the recommendations of the interim report that are relevant to the Commonwealth,” he said.

NSW Premier Chris Minns echoed Albanese’s sentiments, saying the state would also implement the recommendations and do “everything possible” to implement changes in law and culture.

“The reality is for a state government is that its highest responsibility is to protect its people and on December 14 last year we did not do that,” he said.

“We take responsibility for that today and as I said we will do everything we can to change and ensure that we confront evil and terrorism wherever it is in New South Wales and wherever it rears its head.”

The first iteration of public hearings for the commission will start on Monday and focuses on lived experiences of antisemitism, with more sessions to continue over the next five months.

Commissioner Bell is set to deliver her final report before the first anniversary of the Bondi terror attack.