The Queensland Government’s new measures are the first of several in response to the Bondi Beach terror attack. Photo: Mirarah Neva.
The Crisafulli Queensland Government is introducing new laws aimed at cracking down on antisemitism and symbols of terror, to make places of worship and the state in general safer.
The suite of changes focuses on terrorist symbols and phrases, and safety around places of worship. This represents the “first of several” measures to be delivered by the government following the Bondi Beach terror attack in Sydney on 14 December, 2025.
Measures in the bill aimed at curbing intimidation at places of worship include:
- Increasing the penalty from two to five years for assaulting or threatening an individual officiating a religious ceremony.
- Creating a new special case of wilful damage for damaging a place of worship. This new special case will carry a penalty of seven years’ imprisonment.
- Introducing new offences for harassing or impeding people attending religious services, with a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment.
Tougher measures are also being introduced to curb the use of terrorist symbols:
- Increasing the penalty for displaying such symbols from six months’ to two years’ imprisonment.
- Expanding existing prohibitions on the displays of certain symbols to include state sponsors of terror or terrorist organisations themselves. That includes the following symbols: the flag of the Islamic State, the emblem of Hezbollah, the Hamas emblem and flag, as well as various Nazi symbols.
The bill also seeks to restrict “terrorist slogans” by proposing a new offence prohibiting the public distribution, display, recitation or publication of a prescribed phrase aimed to cause menace, offence or harassment. This applies to the phrases ”Globalise the intifada” and “From the river to the sea”.
Distribution, publishing, recitation or display of a prohibited phrase incurs a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment.
“We called this out from the beginning, we said we’d act, and through this legislation, we are delivering a strong and considered response,” Premier David Crisafulli said.
“This is about drawing a clear line — and stamping out the embers of hatred that were allowed to burn unchecked for too long — to ensure we protect Queenslanders.”
