In a decisive response to the recent mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has unveiled a comprehensive national firearm buyback initiative. The announcement came during a Friday press conference in Canberra, where the Prime Minister outlined the government’s strategy to substantially reduce the number of firearms circulating within Australian communities.
The newly established program will facilitate the purchase and subsequent destruction of surplus, recently prohibited, and illegally held firearms across the nation. This approach mirrors the successful buyback scheme implemented following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, which resulted in 35 fatalities and prompted Australia’s most significant firearm law reforms.
Sunday night’s Bondi Beach shooting, which claimed 15 lives, stands as the deadliest mass shooting incident in Australia since the Port Arthur tragedy. Prime Minister Albanese revealed concerning statistics indicating that Australia currently hosts over 4 million firearms—exceeding the number present during the 1996 massacre.
Operational responsibilities will be distributed between state/territory governments and federal authorities. Regional governments will manage the collection, processing, and compensation aspects of the program, while the Australian Federal Police will oversee the destruction of all surrendered weapons. Government projections anticipate the retrieval and elimination of several hundred thousand firearms through this nationwide effort.