The Australian National Imams Council, as the highest Islamic and religious authority in Australia, together with its member Imams and religious leaders, unequivocally condemns ISIS as an evil, dangerous terrorist organisation whose actions and ideology stand in complete opposition to the teachings of Islam and the values upheld by Muslims worldwide. This position has been clear and consistent by ANIC since the very emergence of ISIS and has been maintained without hesitation ever since. The Muslim world has suffered firsthand at the hands of ISIS, with the overwhelming majority of its victims being Muslims. Communities across the Middle East, Africa, and beyond have endured mass killings, displacement, and the destruction of places of worship, including mosques. ISIS does not represent Islam or the Muslim world in any way. Its ideology is evil and rooted in violence and terror. It bears no relationship to Islamic teachings, ethics, or scholarship, which emphasise the sanctity of life, justice, and mercy. ANIC and its member Imams have been clear, consistent, and vocal in opposing ISIS and its followers. In 2017, ISIS publicly listed ANIC’s senior members as targets to be killed. This was part of ISIS’s campaign of intimidation at the height of its activity and acts of terror. ANIC, together with Muslim leaders and scholars globally, firmly rejects the use of the term “Islamic State”. We call on all authorities, political leaders, and media agencies to refrain from using this label and to refer to the group only as ISIS or Daesh. This terrorist organisation does not deserve any association with Islam in name or description. We also reject any attempt to connect ISIS or its members to Islam or to frame its evil and dangerous ideology as a distorted version of the Islamic faith. All reputable and prominent Islamic institutions, scholars, and Muftis across the Muslim world have openly, repeatedly, and unequivocally condemned and denounced ISIS and its ideology. This includes leading global Islamic authorities such as Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Muslim World League, the International Union of Muslim Scholars, Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah (Egypt), Majelis Ulama Indonesia, the Council of Senior Scholars in Saudi Arabia, and the European Council for Fatwa and Research, among many others. There is no legitimacy, credibility, or scholarly support for ISIS within mainstream Islam. Anyone connected to, supporting, or promoting ISIS ideology must be denounced and held accountable. There can be no tolerance for the justification, glorification, or revival of an ideology built on violence and terror.
Extraordinary Council Meeting Tuesday 16 December 2025
Following is a summary of resolutions from the Extraordinary Council Meeting of Tuesday 16 December 2025. NB: it is not a full record of resolutions.
Ordinary business
Endorsement of public exhibition for Climate Change Action Plan 2030
Council voted unanimously to place the draft Newcastle Climate Action Plan 2030 on public exhibition for a minimum of 28 days, commencing in early 2026.
Adoption of Code of Meeting Practice
Council voted unanimously to adopt a revised Code of Meeting Practice.
Endorsement of public exhibition for draft Local Streets Plan
Council voted unanimously to place the draft Local Streets Plan: On Our Roads on public exhibition for a period of six weeks, commencing in early 2026.
Newcastle Maritime Museum Society collection
Council laid on the table the original report and instead voted to invite the Newcastle Maritime Museum Co-Chairs to attend an extraordinary meeting of City of Newcastle (to be scheduled on 13 January) in order to allow opportunity to answer any outstanding queries that exist.
Supplementary Report – Adoption of Effective Communication between Councillors and Staff Policy
Council voted unanimously to adopt the Effective Communication between Councillors and Staff Policy, ensuring that Councillors and City of Newcastle staff are aware of what constitutes appropriate communications.
Notices of Motion
Support for the Link Road Forest Campaign
Council supported a notice of motion to write to the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, the Minister for the Environment, and relevant agencies seeking a joint meeting with the Lord Mayor or Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Adamczyk, Council’s Director of Planning and Environment, and representatives of the Link Road Forest Campaign to discuss the proposal for a National Park.
Further advocacy for the reinstatement and expansion of the Newcastle Mines Grouting Fund
Council unanimously supported a notice of motion to continue advocating to the NSW Government for the reinstatement and expansion of the Newcastle Mines Grouting Fund and look at expanding the scheme to cover more of the Newcastle LGA.
Late items
Stockton Ferry Services – Acknowledgement of prompt response by NSW Premier and Transport for NSW
Council unanimously supported a notice of motion to acknowledge the NSW Premier and the NSW Government for providing prompt reassurance and advice regarding the prompt return of Stockton ferry services, and to affirm Council’s support for future investment in a modern, low-emissions ferry fleet, including electric ferry technology.
Condolence motion for the victims of the Bondi Beach tragedy
City of Newcastle acknowledges the tragedy that occurred at Bondi Beach on 14 December 2025 and offers sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims of the tragedy at Bondi Beach, noting this tragedy occurred on the first day of Hanukkah – a significant Jewish festival of commemoration.
Mental health support available after Bondi tragedy
NSW Health is stepping up mental health support for anyone impacted by the tragic incident at Bondi on Sunday 14 December.
A mental health disaster response has been initiated to ensure help is available for anyone who needs it, with trained mental health clinicians working on the ground in Bondi and Coogee.
These mobile clinicians are there from 8am to 8pm wearing hi-vis NSW Health vests to be easily identified by the local community. They will continue to be visible in the Bondi Beach area over the coming days and weeks.
Anyone who is feeling distress is urged to seek support from our mental health clinicians, who can also provide referral to further appropriate services, if required.
The NSW Government has also been working with Jewish House to provide culturally appropriate services, and our partners in the NGO and community mental health sectors to ensure anyone who needs support receives it.
This includes disaster welfare officers, disaster chaplains and Red Cross staff at Coogee who are well-versed in psychological first aid.
NSW Health has boosted existing resources in the local area to ensure the right care is available to those who need it. Members of the Bondi community can access mental health care through:
- Safe Haven at the Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick is operating extended hours from Monday 15 December to Friday 19 December from 10am to 7.30pm.
- Headspace Bondi Junction at 20 Bronte Road, Bondi Junction from 9am to 6pm Monday to Thursday and 9am to 5pm Friday.
- NSW Health public hospitals remain available for 24/7 mental health support, including Prince of Wales Hospital, St Vincent’s Hospital at Sydney Children’s Hospital.
The effects of this tragedy are being felt far and wide and the NSW Government strongly encourages anyone who needs help to please reach out for it.
NSW Health has increased staff coverage on NSW Health’s dedicated Mental Health Line, to improve the support available 24/7 on 1800 011 511.
The Transcultural Mental Health Line (1800 648 911) is available for people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
If you, or someone in your care, needs crisis support, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Children and young people can call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or chat online at kidshelpline.com.au
Further information on support services for children and adolescents can be found on the NSW Health website.
For non-crisis support, please talk to your GP or other trusted health or mental health professional. You can also call Beyond Blue for mental health advice and support on 1300 22 4636.
Minister for Health Ryan Park:
“We have initiated a mental health disaster response in the wake of the horrific incident in Bondi, providing mobile mental health clinicians in the local community.
“As we move past the immediate aftermath of this devastating event, I want to encourage anyone who is feeling distressed, anxious, or angry, to please seek support.
“We have stepped up support with more resources for our existing mental health care services, to ensure help is freely available to anyone who wants it.”
Minister for Mental Health Rose Jackson:
“What happened in Bondi has shaken so many people right across Sydney and New South Wales.
“Whether you were there, know someone who was, or you’re feeling distressed by what you’ve seen online and in the news, it’s ok to not be ok.
“We are making free support available to anyone who needs it through our dedicated team of mental health clinicians in Bondi and Coogee, and boosting resources for existing services like headspace, Safe Haven, NSW Health’s Mental Health Line, or Lifeline.”
NSW Health Chief Psychiatrist Dr Murray Wright:
“I extend my deepest sympathies to the families, friends and loved ones of those who died and were injured at Bondi Beach.
“It is really important people be mindful about taking care of their mental health over the coming days and weeks following this traumatic event.
“Everyone deals with serious trauma differently and processes in their own way. A range of feelings are a normal part of processing a trauma, so don’t be afraid to talk about what you’re going through.
“We strongly encourage anyone who needs help to please reach out for it. We have mental health clinicians in the Bondi community ready to help and a range of mental health supports available if you call NSW Health’s 24/7 dedicated Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511.”
Man charged over publicly displaying an offensive symbol – Swansea
A man will face Court over allegedly displaying an offensive symbol in a public place in the state’s Lake Macquarie area.
On Saturday 6 December 2025, officers from Lake Macquarie Police District attended a home on Albert Street, Swansea, in relation to a prohibited nazi symbol displayed on a boat parked at the location.
Police commenced an investigation into the matter.
Following inquiries, on Tuesday 16 December 2025, detectives from Lake Macquarie Police District executed a search warrant at a house in Albert Street, Swansea, and arrested a 32-year-old man.
Police seized two marine vessels and other items which will be subject to further examination.
The man was taken to Belmont Police Station where he was charged with three offences – cause prohibited Nazi symbol to be displayed in a public place, offensive behaviour and breach of bail.
The man was refused bail to appear in Bail Division – Court 2 tomorrow (Wednesday 17 December 2025).
Nation in mourning for Bondi
Last night’s horrific antisemitic attack at Bondi Beach is a reminder that the heinous scourge of antisemitism and extremism is a growing threat around the world, and that our peace-loving community in Australia is not immune.
As we reach out today to our Jewish friends and neighbours to check on their wellbeing and to provide our support at this terrible time, our hearts are completely broken.
We recognise and thank our courageous emergency services for the work they did last night, and the incredible bravery of bystanders whose actions saved many lives. We join to wholeheartedly endorse the statement of the Australian Greens below.
The Greens NSW Convenors and all Green NSW State MP’s
Joint Statement from the Australian Greens
The first night of Chanukah was meant to be a joyous celebration – instead last night has become one of the darkest days in our nation’s history and a national heartbreak.
This morning we grieve for the fifteen innocent people who have been robbed of their lives, and send our deepest condolences to their community and loved ones who have woken in mourning.
We send love to the dozens of people who remain in care, and hope for their swift recovery. Australia is with each of you.
Our heart is with the Jewish community who are grappling with this mass shooting, grieving loved ones, and are again fearing for their safety. Antisemitism has no place in our community, and we join all Australians in rejecting this appalling act of hatred.
This terror attack on the Jewish community is an attack on all of us. This reprehensible act of antisemitic violence is not who we are. We are a nation of many peoples who open the door to those in need, and pull together in crisis.
Our nation is the first responders who risked their lives to keep people safe, the heroic man who intervened to stop a gunman, and the many people from all faiths who came together to shelter others and open their arms to those grieving.
We will hold each other tightly in the coming days and weeks, and show care and compassion. The antisemitic hatred of these men will not divide us.
– Senator Larissa Waters, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Senator David Shoebridge, on behalf of all Australian Greens MPs
Time for new gun laws to limit gun numbers and keep Australians safe
As the nation reels from the horror of the mass shooting at Bondi Beach, parliaments state and federal must act to stop high powered firearms proliferating in our suburbs and towns.
Decisive national action delivered world leading gun control after the Port Arthur Tragedy, but in the decades since gun numbers have crept back up, with NSW passing more than 1 million registered guns last year.
The horrific antisemitic mass shooting at Bondi Beach was in part made possible by firearms laws that gave these violent men access to multiple high-powered firearms.
Loop holes need to be closed, character checks need to be mandatory and repeated, and hundreds of thousands of high powered firearms need to be removed from homes, suburbs and communities across the country.
The broad direction of gun law changes proposed by the PM and NSW Premier is positive, but the details matter, and the reforms must include tough new laws that take guns out of our communities including:
- Rapid implementation of the National Firearms Register
- Strict limits on the number of firearms people can own with a maximum of three, except in exceptional circumstances
- Prohibitions on accessing high-powered hunting rifles unless clear pressing need is established
- A fresh national buy-back scheme to remove high powered and excess firearms from the community
- Strict prohibitions on rapid-fire firearms including the Adler A 110 lever action shotgun and similar weapons
- Time limited gun licences with ongoing character checks for all gun owners
- Removal of recreational hunting as a “genuine reason” for a firearm licence
Sue Higginson NSW Greens MP and Spokesperson for Justice said:
“New South Wales has a gun problem that we must now confront. We have over 1.1 million guns in this State, more than there were prior to the Port Arthur Massacre. For every 7 people in Australia, there is 1 gun, and there is a frightening concentration of guns in the outer suburbs of Sydney,”
“It’s unfathomable that a young man had been examined by ASIO for his association with terrorism, and yet his father was able to obtain a gun licence and register six firearms. That is a system that is not working and it needs fixing,”
“We must limit the number of guns a person can have, we need stricter controls on who can have them and we need to draw a line in the sand and remove recreational hunting as a genuine reason to own a firearm,”
“The Greens in the NSW Parliament stand ready to work with the Minns Labor Government to progress this urgent gun reform. But it must be real reform based on safety. It is time for us as politicians to unite and stand up to the strong arm and influence of the gun lobby. The tragic and brutal killings in Bondi must not be in vain, this tragedy must save future lives,”
Senator David Shoebridge, Australian Greens Justice Spokesperson said:
“We have been waiting decades for a national firearms register and are told it will still take three more years and not be operational until 2028. That is far too long.
“A single national firearms database is an important missing tool for national crime agencies to track and investigate gun movements and dangerous gun owners.
“There is no excuse for this being delayed to 2028 the Federal government must show leadership and if necessary compel the states to get on board so it can be operational next year.
“The Greens have fought for over a decade to limit the number of guns in our suburbs with strict limits on gun numbers and clearer restrictions on the most dangerous weapons.
“It is wrong that there are thousands of high powered hunting rifles as well as dangerous fast action rifles and shotguns all across Sydney and other cities and towns.
“Limits on gun numbers, restrictions on high powered weapons and bans on rapid fire actions must be implemented urgently.”
Senator Larissa Waters, Leader of the Australian Greens said:
“In the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy, governments collectively took action. So too should we in this moment, and I welcome indications from the Prime Minister and NSW Premier they are considering gun law reform.
“This moment is beyond politics – our resolve to act is a test for our common humanity, and I hope that all of parliament will join together to ensure that no one can walk the streets of Sydney or any Australian city with a high powered gun.
“The Greens will work with the government to pass reforms through federal and state parliaments to tighten the rules around gun ownership. This is not America and we must work both to eradicate anti-semitism and racism and to reduce unnecessary guns in our community”
Statement on Chanukah lights
Tonight, I made the decision to light the Sydney Opera House with candles on the Menorah, marking the second day of Chanukah.
In the wake of this horrific attack, it is more important than ever that the Jewish community in NSW knows they do not stand alone.
We cannot, and we will not allow Jewish Australians to feel they must hide their faith, their traditions, their religious celebrations or their identity.
Lighting the Opera House is a simple but powerful gesture: a message to the world that we cherish our Jewish community, that we honour their courage, and that we stand with them in solidarity and love.
Tonight, those candles are a symbol of resilience and a reminder that even in darkness, we choose to stand with one another.
ACN urges community healing in wake of the Bondi tragedy
Addressing the General Meeting of the Australian College of Nursing (ACN) Board in Canberra today, ACN President Kath Stein FACN offered condolences to all victims of the tragic terror event at Bondi Beach on Sunday evening.
Ms Stein said Australia’s nurses support the families of all those affected by the shooting and its aftermath and stand with Australia’s Jewish community during this period of grieving and recovery.
On behalf of the ACN Board and our members, I praise the nurses and their colleagues who are working around the clock caring for the innocent victims and the first responders who were injured in the attack,” Ms Stein said.
ACN also acknowledges the bravery and professionalism of the ambulance personnel, paramedics, doctors, police, lifesavers, and other health professionals who gave their all during and after this horrific attack.
There were local heroes, too – members of the local Jewish community and members of the public who put themselves in danger to help others.
There will be many others with injuries and trauma that we cannot see.
The nursing profession is here to care for everyone affected. It is important that we all care for ourselves and each other,” Ms Stein said.
ACT Government considers lethal management of wombats despite report finding little evidence
Following questions from ACT Greens Deputy Leader Jo Clay in Annual Reports, it was revealed that the ACT Labor Government has developed a draft report to consider lethally managing Canberra’s wombat population with little evidence or ecological base.
Ms Clay said it’s extremely unlikely that the community will support farmers killing wombats, especially without a solid ecological and animal welfare evidence base showing that it’s necessary.
“This report in its current state paves a pathway for the ACT Labor Government to reclassify wombats as a controlled native species which would legally allow for wombats to be shot and killed,” Ms Clay said.
“Some famers have concerns about wombat management in the ACT amongst and we need to carefully consider those and work with farmers to find solutions that are humane and effective,” Ms Clay said.
“Farmers haven’t been supported by government to try non-lethal methods properly – that must be the first step.
“What is concerning in this draft is that everything is anecdotal. The Government itself noted there’s no formal assessment into the impact or nuisance wombats cause to landholders – it’s all word of mouth and only 3 of our 381 farmers have been consulted.
“If the government is going to allow farmers to kill wombats, they need good and valid evidence that it’s necessary. At the moment, we don’t even have a clear idea of the wombat population levels, nor the extent of issues posed by wombats.
“There is also no analysis of what education or training in non-lethal management methods have been provided to rural landholders.
“We are still early in this process. The ACT Greens expect the government to properly engage, value and reflect the input of wildlife carers and First Nations people too – we need to recognise their dedication and expertise in this area.”
Ms Clay has requested a formal briefing with the ACT Government regarding this report.
Nation in mourning for Bondi
Last night’s horrific antisemitic attack at Bondi Beach is a reminder that the heinous scourge of antisemitism and extremism is a growing threat around the world, and that our peace-loving community in Australia is not immune.
As we reach out today to our Jewish friends and neighbours to check on their wellbeing and to provide our support at this terrible time, our hearts are completely broken.
We recognise and thank our courageous emergency services for the work they did last night, and the incredible bravery of bystanders whose actions saved many lives. We join to wholeheartedly endorse the statement of the Australian Greens below.
The Greens NSW Convenors and all Green NSW State MP’s
Joint Statement from the Australian Greens
The first night of Chanukah was meant to be a joyous celebration – instead last night has become one of the darkest days in our nation’s history and a national heartbreak.
This morning we grieve for the fifteen innocent people who have been robbed of their lives, and send our deepest condolences to their community and loved ones who have woken in mourning.
We send love to the dozens of people who remain in care, and hope for their swift recovery. Australia is with each of you.
Our heart is with the Jewish community who are grappling with this mass shooting, grieving loved ones, and are again fearing for their safety. Antisemitism has no place in our community, and we join all Australians in rejecting this appalling act of hatred.
This terror attack on the Jewish community is an attack on all of us. This reprehensible act of antisemitic violence is not who we are. We are a nation of many peoples who open the door to those in need, and pull together in crisis.
Our nation is the first responders who risked their lives to keep people safe, the heroic man who intervened to stop a gunman, and the many people from all faiths who came together to shelter others and open their arms to those grieving.
We will hold each other tightly in the coming days and weeks, and show care and compassion. The antisemitic hatred of these men will not divide us.
– Senator Larissa Waters, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Senator David Shoebridge, on behalf of all Australian Greens MPs