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NSW Premier Chris Minns has promised the state's royal commission into the Bondi Beach terror attack will "get to the answers", just hours after families of the victims called for a federal commission in a scathing letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

The prime minister has so far resisted calls for a royal commission, citing the need to push forward with more immediate reforms and changes.

The government has ordered an independent review into the attack and the circumstances surrounding it, which will be due in April next year.

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In contrast, the NSW government has announced it will open a state-based commission, though the dates for it have not been set.

Speaking today at the Bondi Community Hub, Minns said he hoped the commission would open soon.

"We're working with our agencies as well as the Jewish community about terms of reference and an appropriate commissioner," he said.

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"But so, you know, I'd be happy to have it up and running as soon as possible."

He said the commission would have to examine two years of antisemitism, escalating from "chants at a rally" to the Bondi attack.

Minns also said it was important to ensure the commission did not interfere with the trial of accused shooter Naveed Akram.

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"That's how we're going to get justice for the victims and their families and the community," he said.

"But I think that we can get a discerning judge who has understanding and experience about criminal procedures to give us as many of the answers as possible in a short period of time as possible."

Asked about Albanese's reluctance to hold a federal royal commission, Minns said he was unable to comment on Commonwealth decisions but that he expected full co-operation.

"I've been told, and I expect, that any royal commission from NSW will have access to agencies, any agency, any person, any official, anyone they need to speak to, to get to the answers," Minns said.

Albanese has already pledged federal support for the state commission.

'We demand answers'

The grieving families of 11 of the Bondi victims demanded a commonwealth royal commission examine "the rapid rise of antisemitism in Australia following Hamas' attack on October 7, 2023, and the law enforcement, intelligence, and policy failures that led to the Bondi Beach massacre", in a letter published in full in Nine newspapers.

"We demand answers and solutions," they wrote.

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"We need to know why clear warning signs were ignored, how antisemitic hatred and Islamic extremism were allowed to dangerously grow unchecked, and what changes must be made to protect all Australians going forward."

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"Announcements made so far by the federal government in response to the Bondi massacre are not nearly enough," the families wrote.

"Prime Minister, how can you not support a royal commission into the deadliest terrorist attack on Australian soil? Royal commissions have been established for banks and for aged care."

The letter-writers said there was "unprecedented" support for a federal commission as the problem of rising antisemitism extended far beyond state borders.

READ MORE: Father charged after allegedly showing Nazi tattoos on Newcastle beach

"You owe us answers. You owe us accountability. And you owe Australians the truth," they wrote.

Albanese has previously defended his stance by pointing out that no federal royal commissions were held in the wake of the 1996 Port Arthur massacre or the 2014 Lindt Cafe siege.

However, critics – including the families who signed the letter – say that there have been years of escalating attacks on the Jewish community without sufficient response from authorities.

You can read the letter from the victims' families in full below.

The families of those murdered at Bondi call for a commonwealth royal commission

We, the families of those killed and injured in the Bondi Beach massacre, call on the Prime Minister to immediately establish a Commonwealth Royal Commission into the rapid rise of antisemitism in Australia following Hamas' attack on October 7, 2023, and the law enforcement, intelligence, and policy failures that led to the Bondi Beach massacre.

We demand answers and solutions.

We need to know why clear warning signs were ignored, how antisemitic hatred and Islamic extremism were allowed to dangerously grow unchecked, and what changes must be made to protect all Australians going forward.

As proud Australians and proud Jews, we have endured more than two and a half years of relentless attacks. Our children feel unsafe at school and university. Our homes, workplaces, sporting fields, and public spaces no longer feel secure. It is an intolerable situation that no Australian should have to endure.

Announcements made so far by the federal government in response to the Bondi massacre are not nearly enough.

Prime Minister, how can you not support a Royal Commission into the deadliest terrorist attack on Australian soil? Royal Commissions have been established for banks and for aged care.

We have lost parents, spouses, children, and grandparents.

Our loved ones were celebrating Chanukah at Bondi Beach, a festival of light and joy, in an iconic public space that should have been safe.

You owe us answers. You owe us accountability. And you owe Australians the truth.

Senior legal, security, and political leaders from across the country have come together in an unprecedented display of public support for a Commonwealth Royal Commission. The rise of antisemitism in Australia goes far beyond one state jurisdiction. It is a national crisis that demands a powerful national response.

In just the past few days following the Bondi attack, a Jewish family's car was firebombed, and a man in Western Australia was arrested after posting messages of support following the Bondi attack while stockpiling weapons and in possession of Hamas and Hezbollah flags. This threat is real, and it is escalating.

The dangerous rise of antisemitism and radicalism in Australia is not going away.

We need strong action now. We need leadership now.

You cannot bring back our loved ones. But with a well-led Commonwealth Royal Commission and strong action, you may be able to save many more.

Abesidon Family

Amzalak Family

Britvan Family

Brutman Family

Goldhirsch Family

Gurman Family

Gutnick Family

Joseph Family

Kastel Family

Kleytman Family

Levitan Family

Morrison Family

Schlanger Family

Tetelroyd Family

Tretiak Family

Ulman Family

Weitzen Family

Exclusive: Marilyn believed she was being financially responsible when she clicked on a Facebook advertisement for a superannuation health check two years ago.

The Victorian woman, 60, was looking to retire soon and pay herself a modest pension after a tough few years, including the death of her husband in 2016.

She had been paid a significant life insurance sum, along with both their superannuation funds, and wanted to protect her assets.

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The financial nightmare that followed left Marilyn feeling "stupid".

"I thought, what a stupid thing I've done. So I felt angry with myself," Marilyn told nine.com.au.

"I felt so terrible that I had possibly wasted my husband's superannuation, my superannuation and the payout for his life insurance."

But how could 12,000 Australians make the very same costly "mistake"?

Marilyn is among thousands who have either lost everything or had their superannuation funds frozen following the collapse of First Guardian Master Fund and Shield Master Fund.

After a lengthy super "health check" with a financial advisor firm, Marilyn decided to transfer her fund from HESTA over to a fund known as AusPrac in November 2023.

She then rolled together all her money under the one account, hoping she could boost returns.

AusPrac, also known as Australian Practical Superannuation, is operated by parent company Sequoia Financial Group.

9news.com.au has previously contacted Sequoia for comment but has not received a reply.

ASIC has commenced civil penalty proceedings in the Federal Court against Diversa Trustees Limited – the trustee for AusPrac – alleging failures relating to the First Guardian Master Fund. Diversa said it would "vigorously defend" the claims.

On December 23, ASIC imposed extra licence conditions on Diversa over what it alleges were a series of governance failures. Diversa acknowledged the new conditions but argued they were not "necessary or warranted in the circumstances".

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A quick dip to cool off on a scorching summer's day, or a casual wade through gentle waves with family and friends, is a pastime deeply rooted in the Australian experience. 

But until this month, Carly Burns struggled to get past the beach car park.

Born with spina bifida, the 38-year-old from Frankston, on the outer eastern fringe of Melbourne, has used a wheelchair for most of her life.

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"I've never actually been able to get down onto the beach on my own… I would have to be up on the concrete just watching," she said.

But an Australian-first pilot to create the nation's first fully-accessible beach has given Burns, and 30,000 other Frankston residents living with a disability, a newfound ability to enjoy the beach in the same way millions of others across the country do.

"I have family that would carry me [in the past], but to be able to do it myself is amazing," Burns said.

Accessible Beaches Australia and Frankston Council unveiled the nation's most accessible beach to users and supporters on December 5.

The three-month pilot includes 70 metres of beach matting running to the water's edge to allow wheelchairs to traverse the sand, daybeds with cabanas, five beach wheelchairs, two beach walkers, and a hoist to support transfers between wheelchairs. 

Out of the 160 accessible beaches in Australia, Frankston is the first to have staff and volunteers to help beachgoers enter and exit the water.

For participant Chris Wiggett, swimming at the beach was an opportunity more than seven years in the making.

"Last time I was knocked over, which frightened me," she said at the pilot launch.

"This morning, a volunteer helped me down to the water. I put my feet in and walked along the sand, and I cried, because it was the first time in years I could do that."

'A new level of inclusion'

Other beaches across Australia are increasing their accessibility, with some offering beach mats, wheelchairs and accessible changerooms and parking.

But the mission to create a fully accessible beach in Australia was a dream first imagined nearly 10 years ago by Accessible Beaches Australia founder Shane Hryhorec.

Hryhorec grew up in South Australia, where he spent his days patrolling Grange Beach as a surf lifesaver.

But after breaking his neck in a swimming pool accident in 2007, Hryhorec became an incomplete quadriplegic aged 21.

After his accident, he says the beach quickly became a place he avoided.

"I just instantly had to stop all the things that I liked to do that I would no longer be able to do, and one of those things that first came into my mind was the beach," he said.

"I just instantly wrote it off in my mind.

"I tried to go to the beach a few times after my accident, and I just found it very, very difficult,  to the point where … the challenge of it just became too great."

Almost 10 years later, Hryhorec was scrolling the internet when he came across a photo of a beach mat.

"I was blown away, and at that point I was like, we need this in Australia," he said.

From there, he created Accessible Beaches Australia, which led him to visit the world's most accessible beach in Antibes, in the south of France, 18 months ago.

"They went to a new level of inclusion that I've never seen before," Hryhorec said.

"I didn't realise we could be doing so much better until I experienced the best."

Hryhorec hopes the inclusion of daybeds and volunteer staff can also encourage the ageing population to visit the beach – a sight he said "warmed [his] heart" in Antibes.

"Literally half of the people that were enjoying the beach were probably around their 80s or above, which I just thought was just so special," he said of the French Handiplage.

"People just assume when they get older is that they just can't go to the beach, especially if you don't have someone to go with, or a partner might have passed or something," he said.

"When you're seeing our ageing population get to experience the beach, which they may not have been able to do for 10, 15, even 20 years, then that for me is what really grabs at my heartstrings."

The push for accessible beaches nationwide

Hryhorec credits much of the success of the summer pilot program to Frankston City Council, which worked with the local community to raise $200,000 to bring it to fruition.

"I've been doing this work for nearly 10 years, making beaches accessible, and I've never seen a council and community get behind something with so much passion and enthusiasm and compassion," he said. 

"If other communities could just be a smidgen of what Frankston is, what they could achieve for inclusion would be incredible around the country."

Frankston City councillor Kris Bolam, who just finished his tenure as mayor, said he hopes the pilot "becomes the spark that inspires similar programs across Australia".

"Hearing families say this is the first time they'll be able to visit the beach together is incredibly moving. That's the real success of today," he said.

That's a goal shared by Hryhorec and Burns.

"My hope is that every patrolled beach in the entire country has a level of accessibility on the beach, just like in Frankston," Hryhorec said.

"I hope that others would be able to get the same opportunity that I have been able to get, and I would recommend that they do it," Burns said.

Until then, Burns is looking forward to her first summer at the beach.

"I have young nieces and nephews, so it will be good to be able to join them in the water rather than having to just sit back and watch."

The pilot program will run on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays between 10.30am and 2.30pm, from December 6 and finishing February 28, located between the Frankston Pier and Kananook Creek.  

Brigitte Bardot, the French 1960s sex symbol who became one of the greatest screen sirens of the 20th century and later a militant animal rights activist, has died. She was 91.

Bardot died Sunday at her home in southern France, according to Bruno Jacquelin, of the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for the protection of animals.

Speaking to The Associated Press, he gave no cause of death, and said no arrangements have yet been made for funeral or memorial services.

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She had been hospitalised last month.

Bardot became an international celebrity as a sexualized teen bride in the 1956 movie And God Created Woman. Directed by her then-husband, Roger Vadim, it triggered a scandal with scenes of the long-legged beauty dancing on tables naked.

At the height of a cinema career that spanned some 28 films and three marriages, Bardot came to symbolise a nation bursting out of bourgeois respectability. Her tousled, blond hair, voluptuous figure and pouty irreverence made her one of France's best-known stars.

Such was her widespread appeal that in 1969 her features were chosen to be the model for "Marianne", a bare-breasted statue representing the French Republic, and the official Gallic seal. Bardot's face appeared on statues, postage stamps and even on coins.

''We are mourning a legend,'' French President Emmanuel Macron wrote Sunday on X.

Bardot's second career as an animal rights activist was equally sensational. She travelled to the Arctic to blow the whistle on the slaughter of baby seals; she condemned the use of animals in laboratory experiments; and she opposed Muslim slaughter rituals.

"Man is an insatiable predator," Bardot told The Associated Press on her 73rd birthday, in 2007.

"I don't care about my past glory. That means nothing in the face of an animal that suffers, since it has no power, no words to defend itself."

Her activism earned her compatriots' respect and, in 1985, she was awarded the Legion of Honour, the nation's highest honour.

A turn to the far right

Later, however, she fell from public grace as her animal protection diatribes took on a decidedly extremist tone. She frequently decried the influx of immigrants into France, especially Muslims.

She was convicted and fined five times in French courts of inciting racial hatred, in incidents inspired by her opposition to the Muslim practice of slaughtering sheep during annual religious holidays.

Bardot's 1992 marriage to fourth husband Bernard d'Ormale, a onetime adviser to former National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, contributed to her political shift. She described the outspoken nationalist as a "lovely, intelligent man".

In 2012, she wrote a letter in support of the presidential bid of Marine Le Pen, who now leads her father's renamed National Rally party. Le Pen paid homage Sunday to an "exceptional woman" who was "incredibly French".

In 2018, at the height of the #MeToo movement, Bardot said in an interview that most actors protesting sexual harassment in the film industry were "hypocritical" and "ridiculous" because many played "the teases" with producers to land parts.

She said she had never had been a victim of sexual harassment and found it "charming to be told that I was beautiful or that I had a nice little ass".

A privileged, but 'difficult' upbringing

Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot was born September 28, 1934, to a wealthy industrialist. A shy, secretive child, she studied classical ballet and was discovered by a family friend who put her on the cover of Elle magazine at age 14.

Bardot once described her childhood as "difficult" and said her father was a strict disciplinarian who would sometimes punish her with a horse whip.

But it was French movie producer Vadim, whom she married in 1952, who saw her potential and wrote And God Created Woman to showcase her provocative sensuality, an explosive cocktail of childlike innocence and raw sexuality.

The film, which portrayed Bardot as a bored newlywed who beds her brother-in-law, had a decisive influence on New Wave directors Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut, and came to embody the hedonism and sexual freedom of the 1960s.

The film was a box-office hit, and it made Bardot a superstar. Her girlish pout, tiny waist and generous bust were often more appreciated than her talent.

"It's an embarrassment to have acted so badly," Bardot said of her early films.

"I suffered a lot in the beginning. I was really treated like someone less than nothing."

Bardot's unabashed, off-screen love affair with co-star Jean-Louis Trintignant further shocked the nation. It eradicated the boundaries between her public and private life and turned her into a hot prize for paparazzi.

Bardot never adjusted to the limelight. She blamed the constant press attention for the suicide attempt that followed 10 months after the birth of her only child, Nicolas. Photographers had broke into her house only two weeks before she gave birth to snap a picture of her pregnant.

Nicolas' father was Jacques Charrier, a handsome French actor whom she married in 1959 but who never felt comfortable in his role as Monsieur Bardot. Bardot soon gave up her son to his father, and later said she had been chronically depressed and unready for the duties of being a mother.

"I was looking for roots then," she said in an interview. "I had none to offer."

In her 1996 autobiography Initiales B.B., she likened her pregnancy to "a tumour growing inside me," and described Charrier as "temperamental and abusive".

Bardot married her third husband, West German millionaire playboy Gunther Sachs, in 1966, but the relationship again ended in divorce three years later.

Among her films were A Parisian (1957); In Case of Misfortune, in which she starred in 1958 with screen legend Jean Gabin; The Truth (1960); Private Life (1962); A Ravishing Idiot (1964); Shalako (1968); Women (1969); The Bear And The Doll (1970); Rum Boulevard (1971); and Don Juan (1973).

With the exception of 1963's critically acclaimed Contempt, directed by Godard, Bardot's films were rarely complicated by plots. Often they were vehicles to display Bardot's curves and legs in scanty dresses or frolicking nude in the sun.

"It was never a great passion of mine," she said of filmmaking.

"And it can be deadly sometimes. Marilyn [Monroe] perished because of it."

Bardot retired to her Riviera villa in St. Tropez at the age of 39 in 1973 after The Woman Grabber.

Reinventing herself in middle age

She emerged a decade later with a new persona: An animal rights lobbyist, her face was wrinkled and her voice was deep following years of heavy smoking.

She abandoned her jet-set life and sold off movie memorabilia and jewellery to create a foundation devoted exclusively to the prevention of animal cruelty.

Her activism knew no borders. She urged South Korea to ban the sale of dog meat and once wrote to US President Bill Clinton asking why the US Navy recaptured two dolphins it had released into the wild.

She attacked centuries-old French and Italian sporting traditions including the Palio, a free-for-all horse race, and campaigned on behalf of wolves, rabbits, kittens and turtle doves.

Following news of her death, PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk praised her activism and labelled the late actress "a strong voice for all species".

"From her rescued pigeons in Saint-Tropez to her beloved dogs, PETA will miss Brigitte, an angel for animals who went to bat and to court to protect them all," Newkirk said in a statement.

By the late 1990s, Bardot was making headlines that would lose her many fans. She was convicted and fined five times between 1997 and 2008 for inciting racial hatred in incidents inspired by her anger at Muslim animal slaughtering rituals.

"It's true that sometimes I get carried away, but when I see how slowly things move forward … and despite all the promises that have been made to me by all different governments put together — my distress takes over," Bardot told the AP.

In 1997, several towns removed Bardot-inspired statues of Marianne after the actress voiced anti-immigrant sentiment. Also that year, she received death threats after calling for a ban on the sale of horse meat.

Bardot once said that she identified with the animals that she was trying to save.

"I can understand hunted animals because of the way I was treated," Bardot said.

"What happened to me was inhuman. I was constantly surrounded by the world press."

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A 35-year-old man was left fighting for life after allegedly being stabbed near a popular nightclub in Melbourne.

He was allegedly stabbed when a brawl broke out near The Emerson in Prahran about 10pm yesterday.

He was allegedly left bleeding in the middle of the road, with friends seen dragging him to safety on the footpath.

READ MORE: PM promotes plan to 'unite community' after Bondi Beach attack

The victim was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

9News understands clubgoers were told to remain inside while the incident was unfolding. 

"There was probably 15 to 20 men, hopping out of a large black hummer. I assumed they were heading towards the club," one witness told 9News.

The woman said she saw "a guy in a white jumper run on the road and then completely collapse".

"He just lay there, completely unconscious, which was frightening to see," she said.

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A 25-year-old man, believed to be known to the 35-year-old, was arrested nearby and also taken to hospital with minor injuries.

He was questioned by detectives and has been charged with intentionally causing serious injury, recklessly causing serious injury, intentionally causing injury, recklessly causing injury, assault with a weapon (knife) and using a knife in the commission of an indictable offence.

The Parkville man faced the Melbourne Magistrates' Court today, where he did not apply for bail and will remain in custody until his next court appearance in March.

The 35-year-old is now recovering in the hospital in stable condition.

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A 36-year-old man will front court next month after allegedly displaying Nazi tattoos on a beach in Newcastle.

Andrew Lorant was on a family trip to Bar Beach on Christmas Eve, when a beachgoer noticed tattoos on his legs that were allegedly hate symbols.

He had two tattoos on the back of his legs that allegedly depicted SS bolts, a Nazi symbol, and the words "white power".

READ MORE: PM promotes plan to 'unite community' after Bondi Beach attack

Under NSW law, it is a criminal offence to publicly display a Nazi symbol.

The beachgoer who took the photos shared them on social media and also reported them to police.

About 6.30pm yesterday, Lorant was arrested at his home in Urunga, south of Coffs Harbour

He was taken to Coffs Harbour Police Station where he was charged with knowingly display by public act Nazi symbol without excuse and cause prohibited Nazi symbol to be displayed in public place.

He could face up to 12 months imprisonment as well as a fine of $11,000.

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Premier Chris Minns condemned the symbols allegedly depicted.

"There's no place for it. People who are propagating that or are responsible for tattooing it, they should be ashamed of themselves," he said.

"We're going to do everything we can to stamp out hate in our community."

Lorant was granted strict bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court on January 22.

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Independent South Australian MP Nick McBride has been charged with domestic violence against his wife after police were called to a home in the state's south-east.

Officers responded to reports of the alleged assault in Conmurra yesterday morning.

McBride was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and breach of bail.

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The 56-year-old was refused police bail and will appear at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court tomorrow.

An 82-year-old man was also questioned by police and reported for aggravated assault.

He was summoned to court at a later date.

McBride has yet to enter a plea for any of the charges, but previously said he will not be resigning from parliament and is committed to running in March's state election.

He is currently facing six separate domestic violence charges dating back to January last year. 

His political peers spoke out against him today, with former Liberal colleague and Opposition Leader Ashton Hurn leading the charge.

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"Domestic violence needs to be stamped out in our community," he said.

"These allegations are incredibly concerning."

McBride was elected to the seat of Mackillop as a Liberal MP in 2018 but left the party in 2023 to become an independent.

"Well, another day and another Liberal MP elected to the parliament being charged with a serious crime," SA Premier Peter Malinauskas said.

The opposition is seeking to fill the seat.

"We have got a fantastic candidate down in Mackillop in Bek Rosser, and she stands ready to serve," Hurn said.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

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