'Factories of hate': NSW cracks down on illegal prayer halls

Monday, 12 January 2026 16:29

NSW councils could have greater powers to shut down illegal premises and fine them up to $220,000 under the state government's proposed hate speech reforms.

Today, Premier Chris Minns has announced new measures to target people using venues as public places of worship without proper planning approval as a way to clamp down on hate preachers from running "factories of hate".

Under the draft changes, councils would be able to issue a notice to stop operations and cut off utilities to the premises and hand down harsher fines if offenders fail to comply.

NSW Premier Chris Minns announces new powers for councils across the state.

The fines have been raised from $11,000 for individuals and $110,000 for corporations to $22,000 for individuals and $220,000 for corporations.

Councils will also be required to consult with the police before approving new places of public worship.

Minns said he was "struck" when the Canterbury-Bankstown Council closed down the Al Madina Dawah Centre, which was linked to a controversial preacher, in December and could only hand down a nominal fine.

The premier said it was hard to say exactly how prevalent illegal prayer halls were, but he was "sick of" being unable to close one down and having hate preachers simply move venues.

"These are done behind closed doors, they're not easy to identify, they're very difficult to close down," he said.

"But increasingly, as a result of the broadcast or dissemination of individual sermons or lectures or hate spewed that we can identify, I don't think the rules or laws have been fit for purpose to confront them in our communities."

The premier added that allowing illegal prayer halls to operate would be unfair to the mosques, churches and synagogues that go through the proper channels.

Minns insisted the rules did not target a single religion and would apply equally to everyone.

"It applies to everyone. That goes for all of our legislation, that goes for all of our hate speech laws, and I think the best way of demonstrating the government's commitment to have this apply across the board is people will be arrested and charged for hate speech regardless of who it applies to," he said.

"That applies equally for a young woman who might be wearing a scarf in a suburban street in Sydney as it applies to an orthodox Jewish man in Bondi."

The Canterbury-Bankstown Council issued a cease-use directive to the Al Madina Dawah Centre after finding the site was never approved to operate as a prayer hall.

Wissam Haddad, a controversial preacher who has been reportedly linked to the alleged Bondi terrorist Naveed Akram and found in court to have breached the Racial Discrimination Act for antisemitic lectures in July, was a guest speaker at the centre.

Haddad has denied any prior knowledge of the Bondi attack.

At the time, Minns signalled that the Al Madina Dawah Centre closure was not the end of the matter, and that there would be more in the weeks to come.

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