brisbane, australia
—
Australia already has some of the strictest gun laws in the world, but the Bondi shooting could lead to even tougher restrictions as the country becomes increasingly aware that the country’s gun laws are not strong enough to prevent bloodshed.
Regulations were tightened about 30 years ago after a lone gunman armed with a semi-automatic rifle killed 35 people in Tasmania’s historic tourist destination Port Arthur.
The massacre shocked the government of the day into action, and within two weeks new laws established strict rules about who could and could not own guns.
Australia’s swift action is being held up as an example that change is possible. New Zealand did something similar after the 2019 Christchurch massacre. An Australian-born right-wing terrorist livestreamed the massacre of 51 people at two mosques in the city.
Less than a month after the massacre, New Zealand introduced a national ban on semi-automatic rifles and assault rifles. Both countries have launched amnesty and gun buyback programs. There was opposition in both countries, but the government did it anyway.
Until Sunday, Australia had one of the lowest per capita gun homicide rates in the world and had decades of evidence that strict gun laws could make the country safer.
According to data from the Australian Institute of Criminology, there were just 31 gun-related murders in Australia between July 2023 and June 2024, for a murder rate of 0.09 per 100,000 people.
But the number of legally owned guns has been steadily increasing for more than two decades and now stands at 4 million, more than before the 1996 crackdown, think tank Australia Institute said earlier this year.
The Bondi shooting has forced a reconsideration of whether state laws are still fit for purpose.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Monday after a meeting of the national cabinet that state and territory leaders had agreed to pursue tougher restrictions.
The new rules will only allow Australian citizens to obtain a gun license and limit the number and types of guns they can own. Under the plan, licenses would expire and gun owners would be required to check their suitability to hold a license more frequently.
In a statement, the government said it would also begin work to tighten import restrictions on weapons, including firearms and “3D printing, new technology, and firearms equipment capable of holding large amounts of ammunition.”
Australia’s states and territories have jurisdiction over gun control, but under the National Firearms Agreement agreed in 1996, all gun owners must obtain a license and register their firearms in all jurisdictions.
But the hole still exists.
The National Firearms Registry has not yet compiled details of gun owners nationwide. The four-year program began last year and work is underway to consolidate records across jurisdictions.
Mr Albanese said work on the national register would be carried out as quickly as possible, but highlighted the challenges of integrating sometimes outdated systems.
“In some cases, some state jurisdictions were still using paper IDs, and that’s what we were dealing with,” he said. “We are responding in a very pragmatic way. If we can do more, we will do it. We will do whatever it takes.”
Several types of gun licenses are available in New South Wales, but owners must only use the gun for the specified purpose. For example, members of a gun club can apply for a license to use guns only for sporting or recreational purposes.
Police said the 50-year-old gunman in the Sydney attack was a member of a gun club, had a valid recreational gun license and had six registered firearms.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns has suggested the law could be amended.
“I want to make sure that the reforms and changes that we expect to see in New South Wales have a lasting impact,” he told a press conference on Monday.
“If you’re not a farmer, if you’re not involved in agriculture, why would you need a huge weapon that puts the public at risk and makes life dangerous and difficult for the NSW Police Force?” he added.
