P 020126Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY CANBERRA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1305
INFO AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 
AMCONSUL MELBOURNE PRIORITY 
AMCONSUL PERTH PRIORITY 
AMCONSUL SYDNEY PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L CANBERRA 000331 
 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2019 
TAGS: PGOV SNAR SOCI AS
SUBJECT: GANG VIOLENCE SPARKS CALLS FOR TOUGHER MEASURES 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor James F. Cole for reasons 1.4 (b) and 
(d). 
 
¶1.  (C/NF)  SUMMARY: Following the murder of an outlaw 
motorcycle gang (OMCG) associate in full view of hundreds of 
travelers at Sydney Airport on March 22, the GOA and New 
South Wales (NSW) are calling for tougher efforts against 
gang-related violence.  The Deputy National Security Adviser 
told us that two issues concerned the national government: 
the slow response of security at the airport, and the 
potentially overreaching scope of the NSW legislation.  END 
SUMMARY 
 
THE VIOLENCE SPILLS OUT INTO THE OPEN 
 
¶2. (SBU) On March 22, in front of hundreds of horrified 
travelers, members of two rival motorcycle gangs (OMCG) 
brawled at Sydney Airport's domestic terminal.  Airport 
security did not respond in time to prevent the melee in 
which one OMCG associate died from a beating.  A week later, 
the brother of the man killed at the airport was gunned down 
in a drive-by shooting outside his home. 
 
¶3. (SBU) According to law enforcement sources, these recent 
incidents are part of a national problem of gang violence. 
There have been gang-related shootings for over 90 
consecutive days in Sydney, for example.  Law enforcement 
officials believe that OMCG violence is a problem not just 
for NSW, but for all the states and territories.  U.S. 
experts note that part of the problem is that the states need 
effective conspiracy statues and RICO legislation to combat 
the gangs, many of whose members are allegedly involved in 
drug trafficking, prostitution and protection rackets.  In 
addition, there needs to be a national approach.  Following 
South Australia's passing of new legislation in March 2008, 
for example, the OMCGs simply shifted much of their 
activities to NSW and Queensland. 
 
THE NATIONAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS RESPOND 
 
¶4. (U) On March 24, PM Rudd commented to the press that the 
OMCG violence at Sydney Airport "shows that we have a problem 
on our hands when it comes to organized 'bikie' gang violence 
across the country.  Therefore I'm advised from Australia 
today that the next meeting of the Standing Committee of the 
Attorneys-General will be looking specifically at what 
further actions across the nation are necessary."  The NSW 
Government has proposed a new law that would subject gang 
members to arrest and imprisonment for up to two years if 
they associate with one another after a judge has designated 
a gang a "criminal organization." 
 
NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE 
 
¶5. (C/NF)  COMMENT:  The gangs' criminal activities aside, 
the incident and its aftermath have raised several other 
issues.  Deputy National Angus Campbell noted to us this week 
that the Sydney Airport incident had sparked broader security 
concerns, particularly in the worrying lack of response by 
any of the approximately 400 security personnel at Sydney 
Airport.  "Where were they on March 22?" he asked 
rhetorically.  At the same time, Campbell foreshadowed 
possible legal challenges to the NSW government's plan to 
place tighter restrictions on individuals' rights of 
association, echoing the views of many in the Sydney legal 
community that NSW's proposed legislation looked 
overreaching. 
 
RICHE