Higher Fines for Ignoring Council Orders and New Utility Powers for Places of Worship
Local Government and Other Legislation Amendment (Places of Public Worship) Bill 2026
1st House
2nd House
Law
This bill was sponsored by Tara Moriarty (ALP)
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
The maximum fine for failing to comply with a council order about how premises are used is increased to 10,000 for an individual or 20,000 for a corporation (1,000 and 2,000 penalty units respectively).
Places of public worship become subject to utilities orders under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, meaning they can be required to provide or upgrade utilities infrastructure (water, electricity, sewerage, etc.) as a condition of development approval.
The maximum penalty for failing to comply with certain planning orders under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act is also increased.