The NSW Government will unveil a permanent Memorial to the victims, hostages, police and emergency service workers involved in the Lindt Café siege during the second half of 2015, Premier Mike Baird announced today.

“We will never forget Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson, or the suffering that their loss inflicted on their loved ones,” Mr Baird said.

“Nor will we forget the ordeal of the surviving hostages, or the courage of those police and emergency workers who put themselves in the line of fire on the awful morning of December 16 last year.”

In partnership with the City of Sydney, the Government has established the Martin Place Siege Memorial Committee to oversee the design and construction of the permanent Memorial.

The Department of Premier and Cabinet will chair the Committee, which will include the Government Architect and representatives from the City of Sydney.

The Committee will ensure the Dawson and Johnson families, surviving hostages and other major stakeholders are consulted in the design of the Memorial.

It will work with industry experts to inform the design and construction of the Memorial, which will include a garden element that will incorporate compost created from the spontaneous floral tribute that flooded Martin Place in the days following the siege.

“I said during the siege that Sydney was being tested — we passed that test stronger and more united than ever,” Mr Baird said.

“The outpouring of grief that was symbolised by a sea of flowers in Martin Place, and that moved hearts around the world, was the beginning of our recovery process.

“The unveiling of a permanent Memorial, on or before the first anniversary of the siege, will be another significant step in that process, and will guarantee that the memory of Tori and Katrina lives forever in the heart of Sydney.”