Local Government and Other Legislation Amendment (Places of Public Worship) Bill 2026 - Second Read Speech
As The Greens spokesperson on multiculturalism, I have been liaising on the Local Government and Other Legislation Amendment (Places of Public Worship) Bill 2026 with a number of different faith groups in the new year. When the bill was first put to the media after the Bondi attack—because that is the way it was put to the community—the Premier used the language "shutting down factories of hate".
Those were the words he used—that this legislation is a crackdown on "factories of hate", which are unlawfully promoting hate and intimidation and dividing our community. The bill seeks to bolster existing powers by increasing fines for illegal places of public worship and give councils the power to cut off their water and power if they breach planning laws and ignore orders to cease.
Certain faith groups got in touch with me, including representatives of the Buddhist faith. They were very concerned because their places of worship are, in fact, in many ordinary houses and in many suburban neighbourhoods. They were concerned about what they needed to do and what declaring certain places of worship illegal meant and, indeed, what was a public place of worship. Perhaps most concerning of all is the incredible lack of consultation from the New South Wales Government and the Premier with the very communities this bill will impact. It has been complete crickets, with no consultation whatsoever. We have asked the Minister, and we have looked at the statement of public interest. From my conversations with various peak Muslim groups and leaders in those communities, none of them have been consulted about the bill. The statement of public interest says:
Consultation: Were the views of affected stakeholders sought and considered in making the policy?
The NSW Government has been clear about the importance of the need for all levels of Government supporting community safety and social cohesion. Discussions on the approach to increased enforcement powers have been held with the peak body for councils, Local Government NSW. The New South Wales government will work with local councils to ensure the effective implementation and operationalisation of these reforms.
It is not just extraordinary and disappointing but also completely unacceptable that, after the Bondi incident, this Government, the Premier and the relevant Ministers use the term "social cohesion" to not consult with faith communities and Muslim communities about the impacts of this bill. It is, frankly, disgraceful. From the conversations I had with the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, the Imams council, the Lebanese Muslim Association, and Muslim Women association, none of them had been consulted at all. They talked about what a place of public worship is for them and how Muslims have to pray five times a day, anywhere that is available at a particular time—out the back of shops, above shops, in community halls and so many different places.
I am not talking about so-called factories of hate or whether a particular preacher is preaching potential hate speech or violence. The vast majority of Muslim communities pray in shopfronts, out the back of shops, above stores and everywhere else. But even if that is all above board, the Premier's language—"factories of hate"—makes so many people in the community able to lash out when they see Muslims praying in different places of worship. Targeting them with that language and passing bills like this give certain councils—and we know the make-up of some councils—more of an ability to target the Muslim community.
I did not think this bill would come on for debate after it was announced and, hopefully, consulted on with the community, which has not happened. After the backlash against the behaviour of the police towards the Muslim worshippers at the protest against Herzog's visit, I thought something had shifted. I thought there might be a reassessment because this was done so quickly and without consultation. It was just an attempt by the Premier to look as though he was responding in support of the Jewish lobby and community at that time. But here it is. I echo the concerns put forward by my colleague Ms Sue Higginson. The bill has upset and distressed Muslim communities and groups. Again, how can we introduce a bill and not put forward the views of those it is going to have such an impact on? Can we please stop doing that? Enough is enough.