The Land Forces Event (Special Powers) Bill 2026 was introduced to the Western Australian Parliament on 18 June 2026 to purportedly secure the Land Forces 2026 International Land Defence Exposition.
The Land Forces 2026 International Land Defence Exposition is a three-day arms and defence trade show that will be held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre from 6–8 October 2026.
If the Bill is passed into law, it will give police officers significant additional powers within a designated security area, including powers to stop, search, demand identification and remove ordinary members of the public without the usual legal safeguards that normally apply.
If you are not sure about your rights or what you should do if you are stopped, searched or arrested, do not delay. Please seek legal advice straight away.
Nothing here should be taken as legal advice or a substitute for speaking to a lawyer from our office. Unsure of what you can do, or what to do next? A solicitor from Kean Legal Barristers & Solicitors is ready to help. If you have any questions, please call us on 08 6323 8613.
Kean Legal has represented protesters facing protest arrests, and we are watching this Bill closely.
This article explains what is actually contained in the proposed legislation, why it matters even if you have no intention of protesting, and what you should know if you are stopped, searched or arrested.
What the Bill Actually Does
The Bill creates a designated ‘Land Force Security Area’ covering the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre and surrounding streets, including Mounts Bay Road, William Street, and the Mitchell Freeway off-ramp precinct, for the period starting 1 October to 10 October 2026.
Inside that zone, and in any ‘additional security area’ that the Police Commissioner may declare, police officers get sweeping powers that go well beyond their everyday authority under the Criminal Investigation Act 2006.
These “special powers” include:
- Setting up checkpoints, cordons and roadblocks, and preventing people from entering or leaving the security area.
- Demanding your name, date of birth and address, and evidence of it as a condition of entry or simply for being present.
- Searching you, scanning you with a metal detector, or searching your vehicle without a warrant and without needing to suspect you of anything.
- Directing you, or a whole group, to leave the security area and issuing move-on orders lasting up to 72 hours, which is three times longer than the normal limit.
- Requiring you to remove your mask, hat or face covering.
Expanded Police Arrest Powers Without Suspicion
This is the part that should concern every Perth resident, not just people planning to protest.
Ordinary police arrest powers in Australia are built around reasonable suspicion, where a police officer generally needs a specific reason to stop, search or detain you.
The Land Forces Event (Special Powers) Bill 2026 removes that requirement for officers exercising the special powers within the security zone during the relevant period.
To be precise, section 15 of the Bill lets police search any person in the area without a warrant, and section 14 lets them demand your personal details purely on the basis that you are there.
You do not need to be doing anything wrong.
That matters for anyone who works, lives, commutes, or simply wants to walk through Perth’s CBD during the event period; not only exhibitors and protesters.
Protest Arrests: What Counts as an Offence Now
The Bill creates a new list of criminal offences specific to the Land Forces 2026 event.
Several offences proscribed under Part 5 of the Bill carry a penalty of imprisonment for one year and a fine of $12,000, while carrying a prohibited item within the Land Force security area attracts a fine of $6,000.
The penalty is even harsher for persons listed in the list of excluded persons.
A person who enters, attempts to enter or is found in the security area without written authorisation of the Commissioner of Police may face a penalty of three years’ imprisonment and a $36,000 fine.
Anyone concerned about protest arrests should understand these punishable offences before October.
Prohibited Items
There is a long list of ‘prohibited items’ that you cannot carry in the event’s security area without a work-related excuse.
These include:
- Poles over a metre long;
- Bike locks;
- Chains;
- Loudhailers other than megaphones; and
- Anything that could be used to attach a person to an object.
Other conduct may also result in criminal liability.
For example:
- Failing to follow a police direction to leave, or a move-on order, is a punishable offence.
- Refusing to remove a face covering when directed, unless you have a genuine cultural, religious or medical reason, is equally a punishable offence under the Bill.
- You will also find yourself in trouble for being named on the police ‘excluded persons list’ and entering the area regardless. Even if you say you did not know you were on it, the burden is on you to prove that.
No Legal Challenge Allowed
Perhaps the most striking feature of the Bill is section 11.
Section 11 provides that decisions by the Police Commissioner about where the security zone extends cannot be challenged, reviewed, or quashed in any court during the event period, no matter how those powers are used.
For a firm that has previously represented people arrested at protests, this is a serious access-to-justice concern as it removes the normal courtroom check on police decision-making when it matters most.
Why This Should Matter to You, Not Just Protesters
The Bill is being introduced to protect a trade show for international defence and arms companies, backed by $10.5 million in public funding.
Whatever your view of the event itself may be, the legal question is separate:
Should ordinary rights to move freely, decline a search, and be free from arrest without suspicion be suspended for ten days to make that happen?
The “special” powers are due to lapse on 11 October 2026.
However, similar ‘temporary’ laws used for the Melbourne Land Forces expo in 2024 are now being cited as the precedent for Perth’s Bill, meaning what starts as a one-off measure has a track record of becoming a template for the next major event.
If You’re Stopped, Searched or Arrested
If you are stopped, searched or arrested while these special powers are in operation, it is important to understand your rights.
These include:
- You can ask any officer exercising these powers to identify themselves, and they must.
- Refusing to give your personal details under section 14 alone is not, by itself, a criminal offence, though it can get you removed from the area.
- You are entitled to a receipt for anything seized or surrendered, and to collect it when you leave the area.
- If you are arrested or charged, get legal advice immediately. The Bill reverses the usual burden of proof for many defences, so how your case is handled early matters.
The proposed powers under the Land Forces Event (Special Powers) Bill 2026 are significant and may affect more than protesters.
Anyone who lives, works, travels through or visits the designated security area during the relevant period should understand what the proposed legislation may mean for them.
If you require professional legal assistance or representation, Kean Legal Barristers & Solicitors can be contacted on 08 6323 8613.
