Bondi Junction Attack Used as Model for New Queensland Counterterrorism Training

Queensland police have used a scenario based on the deadly Bondi Junction shopping centre stabbings of 2024 as part of a major counterterrorism training push designed to prepare officers for fast, coordinated responses in crowded public spaces.

The Queensland Police Service recently carried out specialist exercises inside shopping centres across the state and at Brisbane’s Lang Park stadium, simulating high‑risk situations including knife attacks, crowd‑control emergencies and hostage scenarios. Deputy Commissioner Cheryl Scanlon said the training is essential, even though Queensland currently faces no specific threat.

“The deadly shootings at Bondi Beach in 2025 and the stabbing attack at Bondi Junction in 2024 has only reinforced the need for us to conduct regular training,” she said. “Our counterterrorism training is practical, it’s realistic, and it’s scenario‑based.”

Scanlon said the Bondi Junction scenario involving an attacker armed with a knife and multiple casualties is one of the events officers have rehearsed to strengthen readiness for real‑world threats.

Australia’s national terror threat level remains ‘probable’, but ASIO director‑general Mike Burgess argued this week that the label no longer reflects the true level of risk. He confirmed discussions are underway to overhaul the threat‑rating system entirely, saying the current environment suggests danger is “more likely than ‘probable’ would suggest.”

Under Operation Banshee, Queensland police conducted after‑hours training in shopping centres in Brisbane, Logan, Toowoomba, Cairns, Rockhampton and Mackay, with officers acting as role‑players to simulate chaotic, high‑pressure environments.

At Lang Park, Exercise Sundown tested officers’ responses to a complex crowd‑control challenge and a staged hostage situation, further sharpening skills needed to protect large venues.

The training reflects a nationwide effort to ensure frontline responders and venue staff are prepared for fast‑moving threats and to prevent tragedies like Bondi Junction from ever happening again.