Queensland has introduced significant changes to its hate crime and firearms laws. These changes are part of a broader response to concerns about antisemitism and extremist‑motivated behaviour following the Bondi terror attack.
The new laws came into effect on 11 March 2026. They strengthen restrictions on certain extremist symbols and expressions, expand protections for religious communities, and make major updates to Queensland’s weapons laws.
Here’s what’s in the new laws and what it means for you.
What has changed?
The new laws focus on two main areas:
- Hate‑related conduct, prohibited symbols, and protections for faith communities
- Stronger firearms offences and expanded policing powers
Prohibited symbols and hate-motivated behaviour
What’s now banned?
The new laws introduce criminal offences for certain expressions linked to prohibited ideological or violent movements. Two specific phrases are now illegal when used in a way that is intended to menace, harass or offend:
- “from the river to the sea”
- “globalise the intifada”
The laws also restrict the display of symbols and gestures that authorities classify as extremist or terrorist, whether shown in public places or online.
Conduct around places of worship
The laws also strengthens offences relating to harassment or intimidation at places of worship, with increased penalties in several key areas:
- Assaults on ministers of religion: maximum penalty of five years
- Intimidating or obstructing people entering or leaving a place of worship: maximum penalty of three years
- Wilful damage to places of worship: now a crime carrying up to seven years
- Disturbing religious worship: Offence has been modernised and the penalties increased
These changes respond to concerns raised by faith communities about rising harassment and intimidation around religious facilities.
Firearms and weapons reforms
Alongside the hate‑related changes, the new laws introduce one of the most significant updates to Queensland’s weapons laws in recent years.
New offences and tougher penalties
The reforms create several new offences and increase penalties for existing ones, including:
- Reckless discharge of a firearm towards a building or vehicle: aimed at incidents such as drive-by shootings
- 3D‑printed firearms and blueprints: new offences for possessing or sharing plans used to manufacture weapons
- Higher penalties for trafficking and illegal possession of firearms
- Stealing a firearm or ammunition: now carrying a maximum penalty of up to 14 years’ imprisonment
- A new offence for preparing or planning to cause death or grievous bodily harm: with penalties of up to 14 years, even if no attack takes place or the plan is not fully formed
Changes to licensing and risk assessments
The laws also expand the rules around firearm licensing and ongoing risk checks:
- Licence applicants generally must be Australian citizen
- Police can consider a wider range of past behaviour, including spent or unrecorded convictions, when assessing risk
- The Firearm Prohibition Order Scheme is expanded with stricter oversight
- Several firearm categories now require solid-steel storage containers
Expanded police powers and intelligence sharing
Police are being given broader powers to disrupt serious weapons offences earlier, rather than responding only after a crime has occurred. In practice, this allows officers to act more proactively to prevent harm.
The reforms also broaden information‑sharing arrangements, including increased cooperation between Queensland Police and other agencies, such as the Australian Defence Force.
How does this compare to the federal laws?
Queensland’s changes have come at a similar time to new federal laws introduced by the Australian Government to address hate‑motivated and extremist behaviour.
At a federal level, the focus is mainly on offences linked to hate groups and conduct involving religious and community leaders. Queensland’s approach is slightly different. It places more emphasis on how certain words, symbols and gestures are used, behaviour around places of worship, and physical threats. Some protections included at the federal level, such as allowances for quoting religious texts, do not apply under the Queensland laws.
Queensland’s reforms also go further by including significant changes to firearms and weapons laws, which are not a major focus of the federal framework.
While the state and federal laws operate separately, both show a move towards earlier intervention, aiming to prevent harm before serious incidents occur.
These developments are also taking place alongside the work of a national inquiry examining the rise of antisemitism, the circumstances surrounding the Bondi attack, and how authorities respond to hate‑motivated threats.
What do these laws mean for Queenslanders?
For Queenslanders, the changes mean there are now more offences linked to certain words, symbols and gestures, as well as stronger laws around firearms and weapons. Places of worship have been given extra legal protections, and authorities that issue firearms licences have been given greater flexibility to consider a person’s risk history when making decisions.
The government says the reforms are designed to improve community safety and give police clearer powers to respond to hate‑related behaviour. Others have raised concerns that how the laws affect people day to day will depend on how they are applied in practice.
What happens next?
The changes are being introduced gradually as police, licensing authorities and courts update their systems and processes. Some of the new powers and offences are already in use, while others will take more time to be fully implemented.
For most Queenslanders, this does not mean any immediate change to day‑to‑day life. However, people may notice updated rules being applied around firearms licensing, behaviour near places of worship, and how police respond to certain conduct as agencies adjust to the new laws.
The government has also indicated it may review the laws over time, particularly as similar changes at the national level continue to develop. How Queensland’s laws interact with federal laws is expected to become clearer as both systems are tested in practice.
