The State Government’s legislation to strengthen councils’ powers to shut down unlawful places of public worship has passed the NSW Parliament.
The Local Government and Other Legislation Amendment (Places of Public Worship) Bill 2026 delivers on measures announced in response to the antisemitic terror attack in Bondi on December 14 last year, and provides councils with stronger enforcement tools to protect community safety.
The reforms bolster existing powers by significantly increasing fines for illegal places of public worship and enabling councils, in serious cases, to seek orders to cut off water, electricity and gas where venues breach planning laws and ignore directions to cease operating.
The legislation:
- Allows councils to issue development control orders to stop unlawful activities that breach planning laws or pose risks to public health and safety.
- Doubles penalty notice fines from $3,000 to $6,000 for individuals and from $6,000 to $12,000 for corporations.
- Enables councils to apply to the Land and Environment Court for orders directing utility providers to cut off services to non-compliant venues.
- Increases maximum penalties for failure to comply from $11,000 to $110,000 for individuals and from $22,000 to $220,000 for corporations.
The changes have been complemented by amendments to the Planning System SEPP which came into effect at the end of April requiring councils to consult with NSW Police Commissioner on community safety matters and the prevention of crime before approving development applications for new places of public worship, or changes to the use of existing ones.
These reforms build on previous legislation passed by the Minns Labor Government to combat hate, including new offences for inciting racial hatred, banning the display of Nazi symbols at Jewish places, and strengthening protections for people attending their place of worship.
The laws apply to all councils across NSW but will have the biggest impact in local government areas with big multicultural cohorts, including in South Western Sydney.