Australia was long seen as a world leader in firearm regulation – the Bondi attack has revealed a far more complex situation.

On a Sunday afternoon in April 1996, a lone gunman wielding powerful firearms killed 35 people in the historic site of Port Arthur.

That massacre nearly three decades ago, which sparked some of the most stringent firearm regulations in the world, can feel like a different era for many citizens.

However, the shooting at Bondi this past Sunday, which left 15 dead, has revived the ghosts of the 1996 shootings.

Weapons Holdings at a Historic Peak

A recent report revealed that there are now more than four million privately-owned firearms across the country – a figure that is nearly twice the amount from two decades prior.

This translates to approximately a weapon for each small group of people.

While Queensland has the largest arsenal, 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 dispels the widespread belief that guns are mainly owned by people in regional areas.

Guns are common in metropolitan and suburban areas, with a significant portion located in major cities.

Critically, there are now more guns in fewer hands, with the average licence holder possessing over four firearms.

What Are Australia's Current Gun Laws?

Firearm regulations in Australia are inconsistent across the country, with a mixed implementation of rules between different jurisdictions.

Generally, to apply for a gun licence, an individual must be of legal age, deemed a "suitable candidate", pass a training and safety course, and provide a "genuine reason" for ownership.

The accepted reasons include sport shooting or animal management, target or sport shooting, certain occupational requirements, and collecting.

However, significant shortcomings remain. For instance, young people in some states can have supervision of a firearm from as young as 10 or 12 years old.

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

Rapid-fire weapons were banned, and background checks alongside waiting periods for sales were introduced.

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

New Push for Gun Law Reform

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

A weapons collection initiative was unveiled, marking the most significant such effort since 1996.

Other proposals now under consideration include:

• Restricting the number of guns an individual can possess.
• Ending "open-ended" licensing arrangements.
• Making formal 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 "situations evolve" over time.

A Nuanced Discussion

These proposed changes have drawn criticism from some quarters.

Pro-gun advocates maintain that imposing caps would not have averted an attack driven by radicalisation.

They suggest that focus would be better spent addressing root causes rather than tightening regulations for the vast majority of responsible owners.

Furthermore, a critical reform from 1996 – a centralised weapon tracking system – remains incomplete, though it has now been listed as a urgent task.

Tragedy as a Wake-Up Call

For reformers, the Bondi attack is a horrific reminder that policies must be updated with new threats.

They argue that modernisation is needed to "keep up-to-date" and protect public safety.

While mass shootings remain relatively rare in Australia compared to some nations, the threat persists, and the ongoing issue of firearms circulating illegally – through theft – continues to pose a challenge.

As one advocate reflected, "It is regrettable that it takes such a tragedy to get people to wake up and pay heed."