Australia’s Royal Commission into Anti-semitism and Social Cohesion will hold an additional secret hearing later this month to examine security arrangements surrounding last December’s deadly Bondi Beach terror attack.
The hearing will form part of the commission’s second block of hearings, which examined the circumstances surrounding the attack. Its evidence will be classified and the proceedings will not be open to the public.
“Due to the sensitivity of the evidence, this hearing will be classified and therefore closed to the public to avoid prejudice to national security and the ongoing criminal proceedings relating to the attack,” the commission said in a statement.
The second block examined the terrorism threat level and security environment in the lead-up to the attack, as well as the conduct of security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
It also considered what authorities knew about the alleged gunmen and what was done with that information, security arrangements for the Chanukah by the Sea event, the sharing of intelligence — including information connected to firearms applications — and resources for counter-terrorism.
The commission completed its final block of hearings, focused on strengthening social cohesion in Australia, in August. The decision on whether to extend the inquiry rested with Commissioner Virginia Bell.
