Mammoth cost of post-Bondi policing revealed
Australia’s worst terror attack prompted NSW Police to ramp up their presence at places of worship, schools and community hubs.
NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley said it was “a sensible response” to keep the community safe. “On the back of Bondi, our world changed forever,” she said. “That’s just the truth of it, right across this country. And I said that at the time, we will never be the same again.”
With an establishment cost of $94.3 million covering IT, vehicles and weapons, the ARC’s operational budget is not known. “We will absorb the cost,” Catley said. “There is absolutely no doubt about that, and we’re not concerned about it whatsoever.”
The ARC, which will focus on tourist hotspots as well as places of worship and major events, will grow to 250 officers over the next year. It was developed after a NSW Police delegation travelled to the UK and Germany to study their rapid response models.
Operation Shelter was first established in response to rising antisemitism and Islamophobia after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel in 2023. Its remit included intelligence gathering, monitoring large protests, protecting places of worship and providing security at crowded public places.