LOGAN mayor Jon Raven says the city is doing everything it can to keep people safe ahead of the 2032 Olympics.
But he wants more police on the streets now, not years down the track.
Comments come less than two months after the Bondi shooting, and amid a national conversation that has led to a Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.
Cr Raven says the council has been proactive in supporting community safety, working with cultural leaders and promoting inclusion across its diverse population.
“Logan is one of the most welcoming and safest cities in Australia,” he said.
“No matter where you’re from, you’re welcome in Logan.
“Over 234 cultures live, work, and play together in our city every day. Our diversity is our strength, and we set the standard for other cities to strive for.”
Following the Bondi attack, ASIO’s most senior security detectives assessed the nation’s security environment as facing an unprecedented range of threats, and claimed an Olympic city was at a heightened risk.
Despite praising Logan’s resilience and multicultural diversity, Cr Raven renewed his call for more police resources.
He said the ratio of police to crime in Logan was lower than in neighbouring regions, including Brisbane, which is preparing to host the Olympics, and that this affects everyday safety.
He first made calls for more police before Christmas, following two murders in the city in less than a month.
“We’ve got a history in Logan of tackling division and fear,” he said, noting past efforts like the Logan: City of Choice program to strengthen community bonds.
Even though the City of Logan clearly wants to become an Olympic city with efforts to secure a national baseball stadium, Cr Raven said Logan was “not yet an Olympic city,” and said the council’s focus will be on local priorities.
“While we’re keeping one eye on 2032 and will work with the Games organising committee and Queensland Police Service on security, my immediate focus for this year is our flood mapping and our 2026/27 Budget,” he said.
Cr Raven stressed that broader safety planning is largely out of the council’s control, but he insists proactive engagement on local crime issues must continue alongside long-term event planning.
ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess warned that foreign governments have plotted to harm Australians, including assassination plots by hostile regimes, and that authoritarian states are becoming “more aggressive, more reckless, more dangerous.”
“Council actively works with cultural leaders to encourage integration and cooperation between our different communities and mainstream Australians,” he said.
Last year’s inaugural multifaith breakfast, which he is hosting again soon, was part of that effort.
He said a Royal Commission into violent extremism will “address the tiny percentage of people in Australia who have hateful thoughts and want to spread them.”
