Key Points
- Fifteen people were killed and dozens injured when two gunmen opened fire on people celebrating Hanukkah in Sydney
- The plan mirrors reforms implemented after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre
- The federal and New South Wales governments plan reforms, including limiting firearms per person, restricting high-risk weapons
- Ahmed al Ahmed, credited with disarming one of the shooters, received over $1.65 million from an online fundraiser
SYDNEY: Australia will introduce a national gun buyback programme following the recent mass shooting in Sydney, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Friday. The announcement comes as hundreds of surfers and swimmers gathered at Bondi Beach to pay tribute to the victims.
The new buyback scheme is expected to mirror the gun reforms implemented after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, when a lone gunman killed 35 people. That tragedy led to some of the world’s strictest gun laws, which have since become a model for firearm regulation globally.
“Australia’s gun laws were last substantially reformed in the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy. The terrible events at Bondi show we need to get more guns off our streets,” Albanese said during a media briefing.
Fifteen people were killed and dozens more injured on Sunday in Bondi after two gunmen opened fire on crowds celebrating Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights.
In response to the tragedy, authorities have increased patrols and policing nationwide to prevent further violence. Both the federal government and the New South Wales (NSW) state government, where Sydney is located, have pledged a series of reforms, including tighter gun control measures.
The primary gunman, a 50-year-old who was killed at the scene, held a firearm licence and had six registered guns. “If a man in Sydney’s suburbs needs six high-powered rifles and is able to get them under existing licensing schemes, then there’s something wrong,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
Australia is estimated to have around four million firearms. The government plans to work with states to target surplus, newly banned, and illegal weapons, with costs shared between federal and state authorities, Albanese added.
On the same day, NSW Premier Chris Minns announced the state government would be recalled next week to pass what he described as “the toughest gun law reforms in the country.” Proposed changes include limiting firearms to four per person, restricting access to high-risk weapons and components, and tightening licensing requirements.
Following the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, Australia implemented a nationwide gun buyback programme, resulting in the surrender of approximately 640,000 prohibited firearms. The total compensation paid to gun owners amounted to around $201 million.
Similarly, neighbouring New Zealand introduced comprehensive gun reforms, including buyback schemes, in the aftermath of the 2019 Christchurch terror attack.
Meanwhile, Ahmed al Ahmed, who is credited with saving lives by wrestling a gun from one of the alleged attackers during the Sydney shooting, received more than $1.65 million through an online fundraiser supported by tens of thousands of contributors.
