The Minns government says NSW councils will be given stronger enforcement powers to shut down unlawful places of public worship that continue to operate after being ordered to stop including the ability to have utilities disconnected.
The changes which flagged on Monday are aimed at sites the government says are operating outside planning rules while promoting intimidation and division, a mix the Premier has labelled factories of hate.
The government says the powers would apply across NSW to any place of public worship that does not have lawful planning approval and would be supported by NSW Police and the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure.
Under the proposal, councils that find a venue is being used as a place of public worship without approval would be able to issue a stop use notice.
If the operator ignores that direction, councils would then be able to move to cut utilities to force the venue to close.
Bigger penalties and police input on new approvals
The government is also proposing to lift maximum penalties for defying enforcement action fines would rise from $11,000 to $110,000 for individuals and from $22,000 to $220,000 for corporations.
The government says councils would be required to consult NSW Police on community safety matters before approving new places of public worship, a step it argues will help address risks early while keeping decision making with councils.
The announcement sits alongside a broader package of post attack measures the government has been pursuing including earlier moves targeting hate related offences and symbols.
Minns has argued the test will be whether a venue is operating legally and that the goal is to stop operators shifting from one address to another after being shut down.
This framing is designed to reassure established congregations that already meet planning requirements but it also pushes councils deeper into a space normally handled by police and specialist agencies.
Acting opposition leader Natalie Ward told that she wanted more detail and questioned whether councils were equipped for an expanded role, pointing to their day to day service workload.
Fairfield mayor Frank Carbone told that he had first heard about the plan through the media and warned cutting utilities would not, on its own, solve the underlying problem of hate speech or extremism.
The NSW Council for Civil Liberties has said it is concerned about shifting decisions that could affect fundamental rights onto councils.
