Australia Announces Largest Gun Buyback in Three Decades After Bondi Beach Terror Attack

The Australian government has announced a nationwide gun buyback scheme, the largest in nearly 30 years, following the Bondi Beach terror attack, which has been described as the country’s deadliest mass shooting in decades.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the initiative would mark the most significant collection and destruction of firearms since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, a tragedy that reshaped Australia’s gun laws.

Background: Bondi Beach Terror Attack

The Bondi Beach attack, which has been officially declared a terrorist incident, left 15 people dead and dozens injured when two gunmen opened fire at a Jewish festival. Authorities said the attackers were inspired by Islamic State ideology. The attack was carried out by a father-son duo.

The son, Naveed Akram (24), has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act. His father, Sajid, was killed during the incident.

Gun Buyback Scheme: Key Features

Announcing the buyback, Prime Minister Albanese and Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Krissy Barrett highlighted that Australia currently has more than four million firearms, a figure that has increased by over 25 per cent since gun law reforms introduced after the Port Arthur massacre.

Key elements of the new scheme include:

• Buyback of surplus, newly banned, and illegal firearms

• 50–50 funding shared between the federal government and states

• Weapons surrendered to be collected by state and territory authorities

• Australian Federal Police to oversee destruction of firearms

• Voluntary surrender provisions for gun owners whose collections exceed new limits

The buyback is expected to result in the destruction of hundreds of thousands of weapons.

Tighter Gun Laws and National Reforms

In parallel, Australia’s National Cabinet is preparing a series of tougher gun control measures, including:

• Limits on the number of firearms individuals can own

• Stricter licensing and background checks

• Requirement that only Australian citizens can hold gun licences

• Shorter validity periods for firearm licences

• Accelerated work on a national firearms register, expected to be operational by 2027

Prime Minister Albanese said intelligence reports confirmed that one of the terrorists held a valid firearm licence and legally owned six guns, despite living in suburban Sydney.“There is no justification for someone in that situation to possess so many weapons,” he said.

State-Level Measures: New South Wales

The New South Wales (NSW) government has announced additional gun control reforms, including:

• Capping firearms at four per person for most recreational shooters

• Allowing exemptions of up to 10 firearms for primary producers and sports shooters

• Banning belt-fed firearms

• Reclassifying fast-firing weapons into more restrictive licence categories

• Removing appeal mechanisms against police decisions to suspend or revoke licences

NSW Premier Chris Minns said the reforms were necessary to “close gaps” in existing laws, adding that the security environment had fundamentally changed after the attack.

Political Reactions and Debate

Prime Minister Albanese called for bipartisan support on gun law reforms, while acknowledging opposition from some Coalition members, minor parties, and gun lobby groups.

Opposition leaders raised concerns about the focus of the reforms, arguing that attention should remain on tackling antisemitism and illegal firearms rather than imposing limits on licensed gun owners.

Gun rights groups criticised the buyback as unnecessary, claiming that existing laws already provide police with adequate powers to suspend licences where risks are identified.

A National Moment of Reflection

The Prime Minister also announced Sunday as a national day of reflection to honour the victims of the Bondi Beach attack, stating that Australia must respond decisively to ensure public safety.