As a reaction to the horrific antisemitic terror attack at Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025, the Albanese Government has announced a National Gun Buyback Scheme. It is the largest reform that has occurred in Australian firearms laws since the tragedy at Port Arthur in 1996. The aim is to eliminate unused firearms that are currently illegal. However, many critics of the government have argued that the move does not address the antisemitism and that Australia already has tough laws against gun ownership.
The need for change was brought to the forefront when it was discovered that one of the perpetrators in the Sunday massacre was in possession of a licensed firearms permit and a personal arsenal consisting of six high-powered guns. It is estimated that there are currently more than 4 million guns in Australia, surpassing the number present in the country three decades ago, and the government claims that there is no need for private citizens to own so many.
The Commonwealth will present a bill that allocates the cost of the buyback equally among the states and territories. Here, the states and the territories will handle the collection and the compensation phase, while the Australian Federal Police will handle the permanent destruction of all the handed-in guns.
Ambitious timelines have been proposed by the Albanese government, hoping all states will support these new changes by as early as March 2026, with complete legislation introduced by July 1, 2026, to remove “weak links” concerning gun laws across Australian state and federal legislation.
The main steps involved in this commitment include setting a limit on the number of guns a person can possess, disbanding indefinite gun licensing, making Australian citizenship a requirement for obtaining licenses, utilising criminal intelligence, and accelerating the implementation of the National Firearms Register to enhance tracking effectiveness.
By completing the task initiated in 1996, the proposed measures aim to modernise public safety and ensure that extremist violence does not recur on Australian soil.
