The Bondi Beach attacks that killed fifteen people have led to concerns. This is rendered the most dangerous attacks in Australia in decades. But the attacks on Bondi Beach — situated in Sidney— on December 14, 2025 are not the only such attacks in Australia. As per the reports of multiple sources including the BBC and CNN, such attacks were carried out in the past, leading to the deaths of many. The Lindt Cafe Siege in 2014, which led to two deaths, and the Port Aurther Massacre in Tasmania in 1996, which killed at least 34 people, are notable terror attacks in Australia. But whether such attacks will end in Australia remains uncertain.
Terrorist attacks in Australia are driven by domestic and international reasons that are often difficult to address successfully. Individuals are motivated by ideological, political, or religious causes. Groups affiliated with offshore actors also remain an enduring threat of such attacks, inspiring lone-actor and low-capability attacks. Nationalist, racist, anti-government, and anti-authority ideologies or beliefs work in such attacks. The latest attack on the people in Bondi Beach who had gathered to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah was carried out by the two gunmen motivated by anti-semitism, which has increased all across the world after the beginning of the Gaza War, and the radical ideology of the Islamic State. But a degrading security level is also one of the reasons in Australia.
Credit: https://pixabay.com/.
But — optimistically saying — the governments of Australia have taken various measures that help reduce the chance of such attacks. The Australian government has implemented a comprehensive and evolving set of counter-terrorism measures including the enactment of laws (including the Security Legislation Amendment (Terrorism) Act 2002), focusing on prevention, intelligence, and legislative power to reduce terror attacks. Australia’s intensive surveillance system and information sharing with other countries (including Five Eyes) are also helpful. These efforts have largely been effective in preventing large-scale attacks, though the nature of threats has evolved to include lone actors. But there are various flaws in the measures that provide the scope of such attacks.
There is a strong emphasis on punitive measures over prevention and inadequate community engagement. The anti-terrorist approach focuses heavily on reactive and punitive measures and early disruptions, rather than placing enough emphasis on proactive strategies to prevent radicalization and violent extremism from occurring in the first place. Other notable flaws include intelligence-sharing gaps and the challenges posed by rapidly evolving threats online. There is also a social cohesion and erosion of human rights and civil liberties, especially through broad legislation in Australia.
Though Australia faces relatively low number of terror attacks, measures need to be taken address such attacks and their causes. But it is vital to improve security conditions in Australia and make law-enforcement based measures effective. Pertinently saying, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) has noted a degrading security environment both globally and locally, leading to the national threat level being raised to “probable” in August 2024. This reflects an increase in extremism and radicalization driven partly by international conflicts — which are beyond the scope of addressing by Australia alone.
But law enforcement-based measures need to address human rights violations in Australia. In addition to reactive and law enforcement-based measures, efforts are needed to actively prevent such occurrences, emphasis needs to be taken to reduce the chance of radicalization. For this, improved tolerance to faiths and community engagement programs can be helpful.
Amir M Sayem
Chief Editor
Dhaka Opinion Magazine
