Australia's leaders have agreed to strengthen gun laws across the country in the wake of the mass shooting at Bondi Beach. After a meeting with the heads of states and territories, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said they had agreed to look into ways to improve background checks and bar non-nationals from obtaining weapons.

Canberra

Australia's strict gun laws, enacted after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, are considered a global benchmark and have significantly reduced gun violence in the country. However, following a recent shooting at Bondi Beach, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has indicated that further reforms may be necessary, including tougher restrictions and new measures.

The 1996 National Firearms Agreement banned semi-automatic weapons for civilians, introduced a buyback scheme, and imposed strict licensing and ammunition limits. Despite a 25% increase in civilian-owned firearms since 1996, this growth is less than the country's population increase. Authorities are now considering additional steps, such as barring non-nationals from obtaining firearm licenses and capping the number of weapons an individual can own.

Australia's legislation on gun ownership

It was, and still is, Australia's deadliest mass shooting. In 1996, a lone gunman opened fire in Port Arthur in the southern island state of Tasmania, killing 35 people. The massacre shocked the nation. And under then Prime Minister John Howard, the government imposed sweeping reforms on gun laws. This legislation has long been seen as a gold standard worldwide. But in the wake of the Bondi Beach shooting, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it could be reworked amid what he called the need for decisive action on gun law reform. Quite clearly, the Howard government's gun laws have made an enormous difference in Australia and a proud moment of reform, quite rightly, achieved across the parliament with bipartisan support. If we need to toughen these up, if there's anything we can do, I'm certainly up for it. In 1996, the National Firearms Agreement essentially banned semi-automatic weapons from civilian use. In a government buyback scheme, residents were paid the market value for prohibited guns during a 12-month amnesty. And a shooter licensing scheme introduced new restrictions on who could buy a gun and what kind. Limits were also put on the amount of ammunition a person could buy in a certain time period. In the wake of the Port Arthur massacre, gun ownership in Australia dropped, though research published by the Australia Institute this year shows that in 2024, there were more than 4 million guns owned by civilians nationwide. That's a 25% increase compared to 1996, but still less than the population growth over the same period, which was 48%. Some say firearm restrictions don't go far enough. For example, different states have different laws on gun ownership, all of which are inconsistently regulated. And there's also concern about the rise of 3D-printed guns. Authorities are now expected to look into barring non-nationals from obtaining firearm licenses and limits on how many weapons a person can own.

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Los Angeles

Rob Reiner's son arrested after director and wife found dead

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Boston

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Hong Kong Island

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Berlin

Ukraine Invasion

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Providence

Police release person of interest in shooting at Brown University

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Brentwood

Director Rob Reiner and his wife found dead in their L.A. home

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Santiago

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Bondi Beach

Father and son behind Bondi mass shooting, Australian police say

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Council of the City of Sydney

Israel calls Bondi shooting attack on Jews, urges action on antisemitism

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Gunmen kill several at Jewish gathering in Sydney's Bondi Beach

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Minsk

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Deming

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London

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Tokyo

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Phnom Penh

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Kup'yans'k

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Brussels

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Washington

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Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

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Breakdown