NSW turns up heat over bikie gang laws

NSW has again warned that some states could become havens for outlaw bikie gangs unless there's a nationally consistent approach to the problem.

NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione has used the Annual Police Commissioners'
Conference to urge all states and territories to adopt tough new laws already in
place in NSW and South Australia.
"This is a very, very serious time we're in," Mr Scipione told a press conference on
the sidelines of the event in Darwin.
The two states have been leading the push to nationalise laws banning bikie gangs,
following the fatal bikie gang brawl at Sydney airport in March.
But Victoria and the ACT teamed up earlier this month to scuttle that plan, refusing
to introduce their own legislation mirroring the NSW and South Australian laws.
They denied they were putting their communities at risk of becoming havens for bikie
gangs fleeing tough laws elsewhere, and said police should focus on criminal
behaviour not individuals' affiliations.
Mr Scipione continued applying the pressure on Wednesday, saying "a unified approach
will certainly help us".
"The reality is we need to be careful that we don't see a displacement across the
nation," he added.
"As we tighten our laws in one part of Australia we don't want to see those outlaw
activities moved to another part of Australia."
Mr Scipione conceded there was no evidence to back claims that a "bikie drift" would
take place.
"But having said that, sensibly if you were to look at pressure being brought to
bear in one part of Australia and (with) a similar approach not being adopted
elsewhere, it could well lead to potentially a displacement," he said.
South Australian Police Commissioner Mal Hyde said he was confident his state's laws
would prove effective.
"Quiet clearly if you can stop them (bikies) associating so they can't do their
business, if you make that harder and harder for them, you're going to have a major
disruptive effect on them."
Northern Territory Police Commissioner Paul White said he believed "extreme
measures" were needed.
"There is no single piece of legislation that is going to cure the problem," he said.
"It's a matter for us to work together to use our best endeavours to counter the
national effects of these outlaw motorcycle gangs.
"These people are dangerous, they are involved in murder, they are involved in drug
trafficking. They are assailants. You name it, they're in it."
New bikie councils have been formed in NSW and SA to effectively act as lobby groups
following the introduction of tougher laws there.
Mr Scipione described the councils as a "smokescreen" while Mr Hyde said he had
doubts about their true intentions.
"We've seen a lot of propaganda coming from the bikie groups, they tell me they're
all mates now and they are not going to be shooting or assaulting each other," Mr
Hyde said.
"Well, I'll believe that when I see it.
"I'm rather cynical to see whether or not they're going to do that or whether this
is just a public relations exercise."
Senior bikies from at least half a dozen gangs including the Bandidos, Comancheros,
Finks, Black Uhlans and Lone Wolf met at the southwestern Sydney clubhouse of the
Rebels Motorcycle Club on Sunday.
The groups have formed the United Motorcycle Association of NSW, which has announced
a plan to challenge state laws that allow the Supreme Court to declare bikie gangs
criminal organisations.