The short answer

Crimes and Other Legislation Amendment (Omnibus No. 1) Bill 2026 explained: AFP airport powers, drug threshold changes and extradition reforms

The Crimes and Other Legislation Amendment (Omnibus No. 1) Bill 2026 is an Attorney-General's portfolio bill that packages six separate reform schedules into a single piece of legislation. Introduced on 11 March 2026 and now passed both Houses of Parliament on 20 August 2026, the bill would grant the Australian Federal Police move-on and identity-check powers at the new Sydney West Airport, reform how drug quantity thresholds are determined in serious drug offence proceedings (moving from purity-based to mixture-weight measurement), enable the Attorney-General to authorise another person to act when the Director of Public Prosecutions has a conflict of interest, clarify extradition processes and grant police new entry and force powers for extradition arrest warrants, and update telecommunications interception legislation. The bill passed the House on 25 March 2026.

This is a federal system guide. State constitutions, parliaments and local-government laws can allocate comparable functions differently.

The useful question is not only “what is the rule?” but also “who administers it, which document controls it, and when might it change?” That distinction prevents an accurate general explanation from becoming wrong advice in a particular election, chamber or policy setting.

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Schedule 1: AFP police powers at Sydney West Airport

Part 1 of Schedule 1 would list the Sydney West Airport (SWA) — the new airport under construction at Badgerys Creek in Western Sydney — as a 'major airport' for the purposes of Division 3B, Part IAA of the Crimes Act 1914. This designation would bring AFP powers at the new airport into line with all other major Australian airports.

The practical effect is that AFP officers would be empowered to exercise move-on directions and identity-check powers at SWA once it becomes operational. These are the same powers the AFP already holds at Sydney (Kingsford Smith), Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and other designated major airports. The measure is forward-looking; it ensures the legislative framework is in place before the airport opens to passenger traffic.

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Schedule 2: Drug quantity threshold reforms in the Criminal Code

Schedule 2 would amend the schedule to the Criminal Code Act 1995 to improve the operation of serious drug offence provisions in Part 9.1. The bill has two main components in this area.

First, Part 1 would introduce evidentiary certificates that provide prima facie evidence of the identity and quantity of a substance in serious drug offence proceedings. This is designed to streamline prosecution processes by reducing the need for expert witnesses to give oral evidence on matters that can be certified.

Second, and more substantively, the bill would amend the evidentiary framework for determining drug quantity thresholds by removing the existing purity-based method and replacing it with a mixture-weight approach. Currently, when determining whether a drug quantity reaches a commercial or marketable quantity threshold, the purity of the substance is taken into account. Under the proposed change, the total weight of the mixture containing the drug would be used, bringing the Commonwealth Criminal Code into closer alignment with the approach used in several state and territory jurisdictions. The explanatory memorandum describes this as 'enhancing consistency across criminal justice systems and reducing administrative complexity, while maintaining appropriate safeguards.'

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Schedule 3: Director of Public Prosecutions conflict of interest

Schedule 3 would amend the Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1983 and make consequential amendments to the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. The key reform in Part 1 is to provide a mechanism for the Attorney-General to authorise another person to perform or exercise the functions or powers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) when the DPP has a conflict of interest in a particular matter.

Currently there is no clear statutory mechanism for dealing with DPP conflict of interest situations. The bill would enable the Attorney-General to appoint an authorised person to act in place of the DPP for a specific matter, ensuring prosecutorial decisions can continue to be made without the conflict tainting the process.

Part 2 of Schedule 3 makes a title change, bringing a position in the Office of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions into alignment with the naming conventions used in state and territory offices of public prosecutions.

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Schedule 4: Extradition process changes and police powers

Schedule 4 would amend the Extradition Act 1988 to clarify aspects of the extradition process and to introduce new police powers. The bill would provide for powers of entry and use of reasonable force for police officers when executing arrest warrants issued under the Extradition Act.

The explanatory memorandum indicates these new powers are designed to address practical difficulties that can arise when executing extradition warrants, particularly where a person subject to an extradition request refuses to voluntarily surrender themselves. The power to enter premises and use reasonable force would bring extradition warrant execution into line with the powers available for other types of arrest warrants.

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Schedule 5: Telecommunications interception updates

Schedule 5 would amend the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 (TIA Act) to replace references to the 'Victorian Inspectorate' with 'Integrity Oversight Victoria'. This change reflects the agency's name change under Victorian state law and ensures the TIA Act remains aligned with current institutional arrangements.

The TIA Act is a critical piece of national security legislation governing how law enforcement and intelligence agencies access telecommunications data. Maintaining accurate agency references in the Act is important for the lawful operation of the interception and access regime. An outdated reference could create ambiguity about which agency holds certain functions or powers, potentially affecting the validity of warrants or the admissibility of evidence. The amendment is administrative in nature and does not alter any agency's substantive powers or the safeguards that apply to their use.

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Parliamentary progress and remaining steps

The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on 11 March 2026. The second reading debate occurred on 25 March 2026, when the bill was also referred to and reported from the Federation Chamber. The House passed the bill the same day. It was introduced in the Senate on 25 March 2026, where the second reading was moved, and the Senate agreed to the second reading on 12 August 2026.

The bill passed both Houses of Parliament on 20 August 2026 and now awaits Royal Assent. As an omnibus bill spanning six distinct policy areas, it has attracted scrutiny in the Senate: on 12 August 2026 the Senate agreed to the second reading and entered committee of the whole, and on 13 August 2026 the committee considered amendment sheets from the Opposition, the Australian Greens, One Nation and the Government, with the committee reporting progress at the close of the recorded chamber snapshot.

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Chamber record cross-check — 11 August 2026 (Senate)

Senate Dynamic Red listed Crimes and Other Legislation Amendment (Omnibus No. 1) Bill 2026 on 2026-08-11 as a government bill under second reading debate. The working chamber record showed the debate in progress at about 1:02 pm, with second reading amendments (Sheet 3825, Opposition), committee of the whole amendments (Sheets 3790 and 3791, Australian Greens; Sheet 3803, Opposition) and Sheet TK115 (government amendments to opposition amendments) circulated. Dynamic Red is a same-sitting record and can change as proceedings continue; the corrected Hansard and current bill page control the final procedural account. This date-specific entry is a procedural snapshot rather than a final status.

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Chamber record cross-check — 13 August 2026 (Senate)

Senate Dynamic Red listed Crimes and Other Legislation Amendment (Omnibus No. 1) Bill 2026 on 2026-08-13 as a government bill in committee (committee of the whole), with the chamber working record timestamped 12:41:22 pm. The record shows the second reading amendment Sheet 3825 (Opposition) was negatived, and committee of the whole amendments were moved and circulated: Sheet 3803 (Opposition) moved, Sheet TK115 (government amendments to opposition amendments) moved, Sheet 3790 (Australian Greens), Sheet 3897 (One Nation), and Sheet 3791 (Australian Greens amendment no. 2, which opposes Schedule 2 of the bill). The committee reported progress, so the bill remained before the Senate in committee as at 13 August 2026.

Dynamic Red is a same-sitting working record and can change as proceedings continue; the corrected Hansard and current bill page control the final procedural account. This date-specific entry is a procedural snapshot rather than a final status.

Common questions

Before you rely on the answer

What powers would the AFP get at Sydney West Airport?

The bill would give AFP officers the same move-on direction and identity-check powers they already hold at every other major Australian airport, including Sydney Kingsford Smith. The designation ensures the legislative framework is in place before the new Western Sydney Airport opens.

How would the drug quantity threshold change affect prosecutions?

Instead of measuring the pure drug content (the purity-based method), courts would use the total weight of the mixture containing the drug. This shift to a mixture-weight approach is designed to simplify prosecution of serious drug offences and align the Commonwealth Criminal Code with several state and territory approaches.

What happens when the DPP has a conflict of interest?

The bill creates a statutory mechanism allowing the Attorney-General to authorise another person to exercise the DPP's functions in a specific matter where a conflict exists. This fills a gap in the current DPP Act, which does not clearly address conflict of interest situations.

What is an omnibus bill and why are these measures combined?

An omnibus bill packages multiple unrelated legislative amendments into a single bill for parliamentary efficiency. This bill covers six distinct areas — AFP powers, drug offences, DPP governance, extradition, telecommunications and other measures — all under the Attorney-General's portfolio. Critics sometimes argue omnibus bills reduce proper scrutiny by forcing parliamentarians to vote on disparate measures as a single package.

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Primary material used for this guide

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Archive note: This bill has been removed from the current Bills before Parliament list: it passed both Houses of Parliament on 20 August 2026 and now awaits Royal Assent; it has not yet become law. Based on the bill as introduced and the chamber records available as of 13 August 2026. The Senate was considering the bill in committee of the whole on 13 August 2026; Dynamic Red is a same-sitting working record and does not replace the later corrected Hansard, Journals of the Senate or canonical bill status.

Primary links are provided without affiliate or tracking parameters. Confirm that the source still applies to the bill, sitting date, jurisdiction or reporting period before relying on it.