Australia’s high-level inquiry into antisemitism pointed to inconsistencies in policing for high-risk events, backed firearms reforms and called for a review of joint counter-terrorism teams following the country’s worst terrorist attack in December. 

The interim report, released Thursday, found no evidence that existing laws prevented authorities from acting to stop the assault, nor that agencies lacked the powers or frameworks that might have altered the outcome.

That shifts the focus toward operational improvements rather than legislative overhaul — a notable finding given calls for tougher security laws following the attack that left 15 dead at a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach.

The commission, led by former High Court justice Virginia Bell, set out a series of recommendations aimed at strengthening coordination across Australia’s fragmented counter-terrorism system, according to the interim report. Chief among them is a proposal to make the national counter-terrorism coordinator a full-time role, reflecting concerns the position has become overstretched as threats grow more complex.

The inquiry, established in January to examine both antisemitism and the circumstances surrounding the attack, also called for a review of joint counter-terrorism teams — the backbone of intelligence-sharing between federal and state agencies — citing scope to improve leadership structures, integration and data access.

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In Australia, a Royal Commission is the highest form of inquiry on matters of public importance. It has the power to summon witnesses to appear before it and to request individuals or organizations produce documents as evidence. Such inquiries are only established in rare and exceptional circumstances and can take years to conclude.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese previously announced tougher hate speech laws targeting those who promote violence or racial vilification, new aggravated offenses, and heightened powers to act against organizations and individuals spreading division in response to the Bondi attack.

READ MORE: Australia calls Royal Commission after Bondi terror attack

Australia already has some of the world’s strictest gun laws, with firearm ownership treated as a regulated privilege rather than a right, requiring applicants to demonstrate a genuine need and pass extensive background checks.

Albanese said the National Security Committee met this morning and adopted all of the interim report’s recommendations. A few of the recommendations remained classified.