Australian PM announces intelligence review as country mourns Bondi attack

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a review into the police and national intelligence agencies after last weekend’s Bondi Beach attack.

“The ISIS-inspired atrocity last Sunday reinforces the rapidly changing security environment in our nation,” Albanese said, using an acronym for the Islamic State group. “Our security agencies must be in the best position to respond.”

A national day of reflection was being held on Sunday to mourn the 15 people killed after two gunmen opened fire at a Jewish festival at the Sydney beach.

Amid tight security, a minute of silence will be observed at 18:47pm local time (07:47 GMT), marking exactly a week since the shooting began.

Police allege the attack on December 14, which they have declared a terrorist incident, was committed by a father-son duo, inspired by “Islamic State ideology”.

Naveed Akram, 24, has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and one of committing a terrorist act. His father Sajid was killed during the attack.

Albanese said the intelligence review, due by April 2026, would focus on ensuring authorities were equipped to tackle extremism.

He said: “The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet will examine whether federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies have the right powers, structures, processes and sharing arrangements in place to keep Australians safe in the wake of the horrific antisemitic Bondi Beach terrorist attack.”

In the wake of Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in almost three decades, the government has announced plans to tighten gun controls, while the New South Wales is pushing to crack down on hate speech.

As part of a national day of reflection, Bondi was to host a memorial later on Sunday, exactly one week after the tragedy.

Earlier in the day, Governor-General Samantha Mostyn addressed a vigil held in Bondi, hosted by the National Council of Jewish Women Australia, where attendees largely wore white to symbolise peace.

“The entire Jewish community, whether it’s here in Bondi or across our nation, you are part of the belonging story and the success of this country,” she said.

Australians across the country are still reeling and there’s a sense of shock and disbelief that something like this could have happened.

But this weekend, normality returned in some ways. Bondi promenade was once again filled with surfers, runners and dog-walkers returning to their regular routine.

While a sombre mood lingers, children’s surf club activities – known locally as ‘nippers’ – resumed on Sunday as a sign of the community showing resilience.

North Bondi’s Surf Life Saving president Steve Larnach told the BBC they had considered cancelling the regular nippers events.

“We were also aware of the sensitivity towards our Jewish community,” Larnach said. “We did ask their opinion, they were very supportive of us going ahead but also extremely grateful for what we did.”

Lifeguard volunteers were among the first on the scene at the shooting last week providing first aid, Larnach said.

Some surf lifesavers have been hailed as heroes, including one who was photographed sprinting from a neighbouring beach with a red first aid kit slung over his shoulder.

Geraldine Nordfelft, who brought her daughter to nippers, said “it was really important to return to whatever this new normal is as soon as we could”.

“You have to return, you can’t stay away, you can’t let fear win. The beach is the Australian way of life and we all love it,” she told the BBC.