Australia had long been viewed as a world leader in gun control – Bondi has revealed a more complicated reality.

On a Sunday afternoon in 1996, a solitary shooter wielding semi-automatic rifles murdered 35 people in the Australian tourist town of Port Arthur.

That horrific event nearly three decades ago, which led to some of the toughest firearm regulations in the world, can seem like a distant memory for many citizens.

However, the tragedy in Bondi this past Sunday, which left 15 dead, has rekindled memories of the Port Arthur massacre.

Gun Ownership at a Record High

A study released earlier this year revealed that there are now more than four million guns in private hands across the country – a figure that is nearly twice the amount from two decades prior.

This equates to approximately one firearm per seven citizens.

While the state of Queensland has the highest number of legal firearms, followed by New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria, it is the island state and the NT that have the most guns per person.

The data also contradicts the widespread belief that guns are mostly possessed by rural residents.

Guns are prevalent in metropolitan and suburban areas, with a large share located in urban hubs.

Critically, there are now weapons owned by a smaller group, with the registered individual possessing over four firearms.

Understanding Australia's Current Gun Laws?

Firearm regulations in Australia are inconsistent across the country, with a patchwork implementation of rules in various regions.

Typically, to secure a gun licence, an individual must be an adult, deemed a "fit and proper person", pass a safety program, and provide a "genuine reason" for ownership.

The permitted justifications include recreational hunting or pest control, marksmanship, certain professional duties, and as a hobby.

However, significant shortcomings remain. For instance, young people in some jurisdictions can have supervision of a firearm from as young as pre-teen age.

Following the Port Arthur massacre, a major rewrite of national gun laws was enacted, leading to a large-scale surrender scheme of over 650,000 firearms.

Rapid-fire weapons were prohibited, and background checks alongside delays for sales were introduced.

A key tenet of these reforms was the removal of "home security" as a acceptable grounds for gun ownership.

Renewed Demands for Regulatory Tightening

In the immediate aftermath the Bondi shooting, political leaders were forceful about the need to bolster gun laws.

A national gun buyback scheme was unveiled, marking the first such effort since 1996.

Other suggested measures now under consideration include:

• Capping the number of guns an individual can have registered.
• Ending "indefinite" licensing arrangements.
• Making Australian citizenship a requirement for firearm ownership.
• Strengthening intelligence sharing during vetting processes.

There are also calls for periodic reassessments of existing licence holders, acknowledging that "individuals can be radicalised" over time.

A Complicated Debate

These swift actions have sparked debate from some quarters.

Pro-gun advocates maintain that imposing caps would not have prevented an attack driven by extremist ideology.

They suggest that political capital would be better spent combating radicalisation rather than changing laws for the vast majority of licensed individuals.

Furthermore, a critical reform from 1996 – a centralised weapon tracking system – remains not yet operational, though it has now been listed as a urgent task.

A Catalyst for Change

For reformers, the Bondi attack is a horrific reminder that policies must keep pace with changing times.

They argue that reform is needed to "address deficiencies" and protect public safety.

While mass shootings remain infrequent in Australia compared to some nations, the potential persists, and the legacy of weapons being misused – through black markets – continues to pose a problem.

As one advocate stated, "It's sad that it takes such a loss of life to prompt action and pay heed."