Australia Launches Historic Gun Buyback After Bondi Beach Terror Attack

Following a terrorist attack at Bondi Beach that left 15 people dead, the Australian government has announced its largest gun buyback scheme since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. The attack, declared a terrorist incident, was allegedly carried out by a father-son duo motivated by "Islamic State ideology" during a Jewish festival. In response, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and state leaders have moved to tighten firearm regulations, noting that there are currently more than 4 million guns in the country, surpassing the numbers seen in 1996. The new measures include a federally funded buyback of surplus and newly banned weapons, strict limits on the number of firearms an individual can own, and the requirement of Australian citizenship for licensing.

In addition to the legislative changes, Australian authorities are intensifying their monitoring of extremist threats. While New South Wales Police recently detained and released a group of men in Liverpool due to their "extremist Islamic ideology," officials confirmed there is no direct link between that group and the Bondi shooters. However, the government is accelerating work on a national firearms register and increasing intelligence sharing to prevent future violence. These reforms represent a significant shift in national security policy, aimed at reducing the density of firearms in suburban areas and closing loopholes in the existing licensing system.