Minns admits 'giant intelligence failure' led to Bondi terror attack

NSW Premier Chris Minns has stopped short of calling the state's counter-terrorism system broken, but admits a "giant intelligence failure" led to the deaths of 15 people in the Bondi terror attack.

Minns defended the work of the Joint Counter Terrorism Team, a mix of senior police and intelligence agencies, in thwarting "32 terrorism events" in the state since its formation, as their actions in the lead-up to the attack are analysed at a Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Cohesion.

Earlier today, reports from The Daily Telegraph claimed two calls to the National Security Hotline in 2007 and 2024 reporting Sajid Akram were not passed on to ASIO.

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Akram was killed by police in the shooting, while his alleged accomplice and son Naveed, is currently before the courts.

Speaking to 2GB, Minns said he did not want to send the wrong message to the state by suggesting the current structures to combat terrorism are not fit for purpose.

"We've clearly had a giant law enforcement and intelligence failure in December of last year that we need to correct and make better,' he said.

"But I also don't want the public believing that no one talks to each other."

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"These are law enforcement agencies that work with sophisticated technology and have had success in the past. 

"You often don't read about it because they've acted before someone's committed a horrible terrorism event."

He said the failure to share the alleged pieces of intelligence with ASIO was more likely because it "slipped through the cracks" rather than a malicious effort to withhold key information.

Speaking to media this morning, he doubled down on his defence of the state's counter-terrorism agencies, though acknowledged he looked forward to the findings of the ongoing Royal Commission to learn from the mistakes that led to the Bondi shooting.

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Yesterday, ASIO's chief Mike Burgess revealed there had been warnings that Jewish holy events were targets for terrorism attacks months before the shooting, which occurred at a Chanukkah celebration.

"I think there's parts of the intelligence and counter-terrorism architecture that need to be examined, and they need to be examined by the Royal Commission, and we need to make sure that we're learning from the mistakes that have been made," Minns said.

"But I'm not going to say it's broken, I don't want to send the message out today that if people have suspicions or concerns about something in their community, then they should contact authorities.

"I don't want the good work of those senior police officers and hard-working intelligence agencies just washed away."