Heavily armed police to patrol Sydney Cricket Ground for Ashes test as NSW signals new era of high-visibility security after Bondi terror attack
The increased security measures come less than a month after the devastating terrorist attack at Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025. During a Hanukkah celebration attended by about 1,000 people, two gunmen, later identified as father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram, opened fire on the crowd, killing 15 people.
The Bondi Beach attack was an act of terrorism motivated by antisemitism and Islamic State (IS) ideology, with reference to the presence of homemade ISIS flags and unexploded improvised explosive devices in the attackers’ vehicle. The incident, one of the deadliest mass shootings in modern Australian history, triggered a national reckoning on gun control.
Full crowds are expected at the SCG and police have increased their presence to reassure the public that it is safe to attend large gatherings following the Bondi terror attack.
“Many people may not be used to seeing police carrying rifles at sporting events, but our aim here is to help the public feel safe and police will be empowered,” NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said, according to the 9News website. he said.
“The difference will be in the visibility of long arms and a stronger presence. Otherwise the police will target antisocial and unsafe behavior as usual,” he said.
To increase public confidence, uniformed and mounted police will patrol the grounds alongside Public Order and Riot Police officers deployed with clearly visible long-armed rifles. According to Counter-Terrorism and Special Tactics Command Deputy Commissioner Leanne McCusker, the increased visibility of the rifles is not linked to any specific threat.
“I want to emphasize that there is no active or imminent threat,” he said. “All PORS officers are rifle trained and have been for some time; this does not reflect any recent changes in capability or weaponry.”
The move follows one of Sydney’s biggest ever police operations on New Year’s Eve, which saw more than 2,000 officers deployed. Premier Chris Minns said it was the start of a new approach to policing across NSW.
