New South Wales, Australia, is set to begin a significant gun buyback program in November, marking the first state in the nation to initiate such a scheme as part of a broader national response to a fatal shooting spree. The attack, which occurred at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney on December 14, resulted in 15 deaths.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New South Wales Premier Chris Minns announced that the buyback would commence on November 2. Under the first phase, individuals returning eligible firearms will receive fixed compensation ranging from $450 to $1,000 per weapon, depending on its type. A subsequent phase will allow for the valuation of certain higher-value firearms, with a cap of $10,000 per firearm.
The center-left government, in January, enacted new gun-control laws following the Bondi Beach incident. These measures include the buyback program and more stringent firearms regulations. Separately, New South Wales passed its own tightened state firearms laws in December, and the federal government also strengthened legislation targeting hate speech and extremism.
Officials stated that the firearms used in the attack were legally obtained. According to government figures, Australia had a record 4.1 million firearms in the country last year, with over 1.1 million registered in New South Wales, the nation's most populous state.
"We must do everything we can to make sure the antisemitic terrorist attack in Bondi doesn’t happen again. That includes meaningful nationwide gun reform," Prime Minister Albanese said in a statement. He noted that this initiative is set to be Australia's largest buyback since a similar effort after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, where 35 people were killed.
New South Wales has implemented restrictions limiting individual firearm ownership to four guns, though exemptions exist for certain license holders, such as primary producers and sport shooters, who may possess more. The state estimates that up to 274,000 registered firearms, approximately 24% of the total in New South Wales, and about 50,000 license holders are affected by the new ownership limits and reclassification of some firearm types.
"After Bondi, we promised the people of New South Wales we would introduce the toughest gun laws in the country, and that’s exactly what we did," Minns stated. "The next step is getting the guns that are no longer permitted under those laws out of circulation and permanently off our streets."
He added, "There are potentially hundreds of thousands of firearms affected by these changes. We want those guns handed in, compensated for and safely destroyed. This is a big undertaking, but the principle behind it is simple: fewer dangerous guns in our community means a safer New South Wales."
Authorities believe the attack was perpetrated by a father and son inspired by the Islamic State. The 50-year-old father was killed by police at the scene, while his 24-year-old son faces 59 charges, including 15 counts of murder and committing a terrorist act.
Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke commented on the broader response, stating, "After the tragedy at Bondi, we committed to dealing with the motive and the method. Since then, we have strengthened our hate crimes and hate speech laws, which are now the strongest in our country’s history."
He concluded, "Today we continue the proud Australian tradition of sensible gun reform designed to protect our community from weapons which have no utility other than to cause harm."