The extra powers given to the state’s police force will be in effect from October 1 to 10, with the event to be held at Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre (PCEC) from October 6 to 8.
The new powers allow police to set up checkpoints, cordons and roadblocks in a protected area around the convention centre, as well as preventing people or vehicles from entering the area and searching both people and vehicles within the protected space. Police will also be able to ask people to leave the area and issue “reasonable directions”.
The last time the biennial event was held, in Melbourne in 2024, roughly 1,200 people protested around Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) and 33 protesters were arrested, after rocks were thrown and police were sprayed with “a liquid irritant”. Twenty-four police received medical attention as a result of the protest.
“We saw the scenes that occurred when Land Forces was held in Melbourne in 2024, and we do not want to see anything like that here in Perth, which is why it is crucial these laws have now passed,” said WA’s police minister, Reece Whitby.
“This legislation is about making sure WA Police have the powers they need to keep people safe and effectively manage Land Forces, while respecting the right to peacefully protest.
“I want to thank all members of Parliament for working together and putting community safety first to get this important legislation passed.”
The state government has allocated $11.5 million for security related to Land Forces in 2026.
The most recent iteration of the event in Melbourne drew 25,675 attendees and 995 exhibitors, with 46 nations participating in the event.
