Decision details

Moved by Councillor Maxwell, seconded by the Chair (the Lord Mayor) –

It is resolved that:

(A)      Council note:

(i)         recent reporting by ABC News highlighting a series of violent attacks targeting LGBTQIA+ people in Sydney, including incidents where victims were lured through dating and hook-up apps, assaulted, and in some cases filmed and distributed online;

(ii)        reports that some of these attacks have been linked to extremist ideologies, including individuals associated with far-right extremism and others inspired by Islamic State;

(iii)      expert warnings that, after Jewish Australians, LGBTQIA+ people are among those most at risk of being targeted by violent extremism in Australia;

(iv)      data released by NSW Police indicating:

·               197 LGBTQIA+ hate-related violent incidents and 103 individuals charged between 2023 and 2025; and

·               36 incidents involving the use of dating or hook-up apps to lure victims to assaults or robberies;

(v)       a manual review of this data identifies at least 56 incidents occurring within the City of Sydney local government area, noting that the data is not provided in a clear Local Government Area (LGA) breakdown;

(vi)      that a subset of these incidents involve the deliberate targeting of victims through digital platforms, followed by coordinated assault and, in some cases, the filming and dissemination of the violence;

(vii)     the historical context of anti-LGBTQIA+ violence in Sydney, including the murders and assaults commemorated at Mark’s Park, and that the current pattern of targeted violence echoes these earlier periods, highlighting the need for early, coordinated action to prevent further harm;

(viii)    the announcement by the NSW Government and Premier Chris Minns of urgent legislative reforms, including stronger penalties and potential new offences targeting hate-motivated violence;

(ix)      in May 2025, the NSW Attorney-General requested the Hon. John Sackar AM KC to review and report on the criminal law protections against the incitement of hatred and in particular to consider, among other things, the sufficiency of criminal law protections against hatred for vulnerable groups in the NSW community, including any improvements that could be made;

(x)       the review received 55 submissions, including submissions from Equality Australia, ACON, Rainbow Families and other organisations which recommended several changes to the law which would provide LGBTIQA+ people with additional protections from hatred;

(xi)      Justice Sackar delivered his report to the Attorney General by the date requested, 5 November 2025;

(xii)     on 18 March 2026 the NSW Legislative Council adopted a resolution which, among other things, requested the Government to table the Sackar review and report within 14 days;

(xiii)    the NSW Government has not complied with this request;

(xiv)    when speaking on the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Hate Crimes) Bill 2026 on 24 March 2026, Alex Greenwich MP said "A range of reforms is needed to truly protect the LGBTQIA+ community. We also need to see the expert review on hate crimes from Justice John Sackar to help inform and strengthen legal responses"; and

(xv)     the importance of ensuring Sydney remains a safe, inclusive and welcoming city for LGBTQIA+ residents and visitors, particularly during periods of heightened visibility such as the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras;

(B)      Council reaffirm:

(i)         its commitment to the safety, dignity and inclusion of LGBTQIA+ communities;

(ii)        that targeted violence based on sexuality or gender identity is unacceptable and requires a coordinated response across all levels of government; and

(iii)      the importance of public confidence in reporting incidents and accessing support services;

(C)      Council welcome:

(i)         the NSW Government’s commitment to urgent legislative reform to strengthen responses to hate-motivated violence; and

(ii)        the focus on addressing emerging forms of targeted violence, including the use of digital platforms to facilitate assaults;

(D)      Council call on the NSW Government to:

(i)         progress these reforms as a matter of urgency along with the recommendations of the Measures to combat right-wing extremism in New South Wales report, handed down this week;

(ii)        consider specific offences addressing the use of digital platforms to lure victims for the purpose of assault, robbery or humiliation;

(iii)      ensure adequate resourcing for NSW Police to investigate, prevent and respond to targeted attacks, including specialist capabilities; and

(iv)      improve transparency and regular public reporting of LGBTQIA+ hate-related incidents, including clearer geographic breakdowns; and

(v)       publicly release the report on the findings of the Review of criminal law protections against the incitement of hatred by the Hon. John Sackar AM KC; and

(E)      the Chief Executive Officer be requested to:

(i)         seek a confidential briefing for Councillors from relevant state and federal security agencies, on the current threat profile facing LGBTQIA+ communities in Sydney;

(ii)        provide advice to Council on opportunities for local government to support community safety, awareness, and prevention in response to this evolving threat environment; and

(iii)      work with community organisations to ensure affected communities are informed, supported, and confident in reporting incidents.

The motion, as varied by consent, was carried unanimously.

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