New South Wales to Launch Gun Buyback Following Bondi Beach Shooting

New South Wales will begin a gun buyback scheme on November 2, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced. The initiative follows a shooting attack on December 14 at a Jewish celebration at Bondi Beach that killed 15 people. The attack was allegedly carried out by a father and son; the father, Sajid Akram, was killed by police, while his son, Naveed Akram, remains in prison facing terrorism and murder charges.

Under the new rules, individuals in the state are restricted to owning no more than four guns, with some exemptions for farmers. Gun owners who exceed this limit can return eligible handguns, shotguns, and rifles for compensation. Reports on the payment amount vary, with sources citing figures between 320 and 700 US dollars or up to 1,000 Australian dollars per firearm. The costs of the program will be split between the federal and state governments.

Premier Chris Minns stated that hundreds of thousands of guns could be returned, noting that there are currently more firearms in Australia than there were during the 1996 Port Arthur buyback. While the government initially considered a nationwide buyback, those plans stalled due to disagreements over implementation and funding.

Outlets with a center left lean framed the event as a necessary step for meaningful reform to prevent future terrorist attacks. In contrast, a center right source emphasized the legal status of the firearms used in the attack and the specific volume of guns currently held within the population.