State bikie law sails through parliament

SYDNEY - Legislation allowing police to declare bikie gangs "criminal organisations" was rushed before the New South Wales Parliament yesterday.

Premier Nathan Rees says the Criminal Organisations Control Bill will ensure NSW police have the powers they need to deal with escalating bikie gang violence.

The legislation will enable the police commissioner to make an application to the NSW Supreme Court to have a bikie gang declared a criminal organisation.

"These are tough and well-constructed laws," Rees told Parliament.

"They aim to give no second chances to those declared members of an illegal gang."

Under the laws, gang members will be able to make submissions before the Supreme Court, but a judge can make a declaration without giving reasons.

That declaration has to be published in the Government's gazette as well as one newspaper published statewide.

Gang members who associate with each other can then be charged without warning and face at least two years in jail.

The laws were introduced into Parliament yesterday.

They have Opposition support and were expected to pass Parliament last night, with both houses not scheduled to sit again until May.

Rees said that despite NSW's action, the problem of bikie gangs needed a national approach to be effective, adding organised crime transcended state borders.

Similar legislation exists in South Australia, and Queensland Premier Anna Bligh this week announced her Government would look at adopting similar provisions.

Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell told Parliament the coalition supported the laws, saying the state Government only woke up to the bikie gang problem after last month's vicious Sydney airport brawl between feuding bikie gangs.

Anthony Zervas, 29, died as a result of the fight.

His brother, Hells Angel Peter Zervas, 32, is in a serious but stable condition at St George Hospital after being shot as he sat in a car outside a Sydney apartment block on Sunday.

Five Comancheros bikies have been charged with affray over the March 22 airport brawl with the Hells Angels.

- AAP