NSW councils to be empowered to cut off hate preaching venues
Councils will be empowered to shut down unauthorised prayer halls hosting hate preachers under new measures introduced by the NSW Government.
The changes allow local councils to cut off utilities to public places of worship operating without lawful planning approval, after first issuing a notice to shut down the unauthorised venue.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said there was no place in NSW for “hate, intimidation or extremism masquerading as community activity.”
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“These reforms give councils real powers to act when premises are operating unlawfully and spreading division,” he said.
“If operators ignore the law and refuse to shut down, councils will be able to cut off utilities and close them for good.
“This is about protecting social cohesion, keeping communities safe and upholding the values that unite us as Australians.”
Councils will also be required to consult with police about community safety before approving new places of public worship.
“Planning laws exist to build communities, not to provide cover for unlawful activity,” NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley said.
“When a place of worship or any other premises is operating without approval and ignores a cease-use notice, councils must have effective enforcement tools.
“Giving councils the ability to seek the disconnection of utilities ensures planning decisions are respected and unlawful ‘factories of hate’ cannot continue to operate.”
The term “factories of hate” gained traction in the wake of the Bondi massacre, after two alleged ISIS-inspired gunmen opened fire on group of Jewish festivalgoers in Sydney.
The term describes places that operate unlawfully while promoting hatred, intimidation or division within the community.
In December, Canterbury-Bankstown Council moved to shut down the Al Madina Dawah Centre in Bankstown – where censured preacher Wissam Haddad gives sermons – after it was found to have been operating as an illegal prayer hall.
A review of records dating back to 1970 had revealed it had never had approval to operate as a prayer hall and was only recently being approved to operate as a medical centre.
It is understood 24-year-old Naveed Akram, who is alleged to be one of the two gunmen who killed 15 people at Bondi Beach, was a frequent visitor to the centre.
Mr Haddad was sued at the NSW Supreme Court over anti-Semitic comments and ordered to remove a series of lectures a court found to contain “fundamentally racist and anti-Semitic” material.
Originally published as NSW councils to be empowered to cut off hate preaching venues
