“I think there’s a general agreement, clearly from the opposition, that the temperature has been way too high,” he said.
“When you see people marching and showing violent, bloody images, images of death and destruction, it’s unleashing something in our community that the organisers of the protest can’t contain.”
Minns said the state could not risk another mass demonstration on the scale of the Harbour Bridge protest for Gaza that Minns and NSW Police did not support.
When asked if members of his own party, including senior minister Penny Sharpe, and other well-meaning Sydneysiders were wrong to participate in the Harbour Bridge march, Minns said he would not dwell on the past.
“I didn’t think it was consistent with community harmony,” he said. “But a lot of people, including people who approached that issue with goodwill who’d be appalled by what happened on Sunday, disagreed.”
Loading
Police Minister Yasmin Catley said the cost could be “four or five times” larger for NSW to get the guns off owners than in Western Australia, which set aside $63 million for its buyback scheme.
Licence holders will be required to be a member of a gun club, magazine capacities for category A and B firearms will be limited to a maximum of five to 10 rounds, and there will be a blanket ban on firearms that can use a belt-fed magazine.
New Zealand citizens who become permanent residents will be exempt from a ban on non-citizens owning guns if they work in primary production or security. Licence terms will be reduced from five to two years, and existing license holders will be audited to look at high-risk cases.
When parliament is recalled on Monday, the opposition will revive its own legislation that failed to pass parliament earlier this year, which would give police and courts powers to block repeat protests on the basis of policing costs, economic impact, and “social cohesion”.
They also propose expanding laws banning Nazi symbols to capture symbols linked to proscribed terrorist organisations, and increasing the maximum jail term from 18 months to five years.
The proposal would mirror Commonwealth laws and allow NSW Police to arrest anyone displaying a symbol linked to terror.
“When you allow hate speech to go unchecked, when we do not stand up against words, those words lead to violence,” said NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane.
Bondi Beach incident helplines:
- Bondi Beach Victim Services on 1800 411 822
- Bondi Beach Public Information & Enquiry Centre on 1800 227 228
- NSW Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511 or Lifeline on 13 11 14
- Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or chat online at kidshelpline.com.au
More Bondi terror coverage
- Spartan and small: This is the dusty Philippine hotel room where Bondi gunmen holed up for a month
- Hero cop identified: A Bondi-based detective with more than 15 years in the force, fired at the gunmen from about 40 metres away
- Anthony Albanese had a choice to make: Angry about the Bondi massacre, the prime minister has laid out a plan to fight antisemitism
- 59 offences: Bondi gunman, Naveed Akram, charged with 59 offences including 15 murders
Be the first to know when major news happens. Sign up for breaking news alerts on email or turn on notifications in the app.































