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

On a weekend day in 1996, a lone gunman armed with rapid-fire weapons murdered 35 people in the Tasmanian tourist destination of Port Arthur.

That massacre nearly a generation ago, which led to some of the toughest gun laws in the world, can feel like a bygone age for many Australians.

However, the tragedy in Bondi this past Sunday, which resulted in 15 fatalities, has revived the ghosts of the 1996 shootings.

Weapons Holdings at a Record High

A recent report revealed that there are now over four million weapons owned by civilians across the country – a figure that is almost double the amount from two decades prior.

This translates to approximately one firearm per seven citizens.

While Queensland has the largest arsenal, followed by New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria, it is Tasmania and the NT that have the highest rate of firearm ownership.

The data also contradicts the widespread belief that guns are mostly possessed by rural residents.

Guns are prevalent in cities and their outskirts, with a sizable percentage located in population centres.

Critically, there are now firearms concentrated among fewer owners, with the registered individual possessing more than four firearms.

Examining Australia's Current Gun Laws?

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

Typically, to secure a gun licence, an individual must be of legal age, deemed a "fit and proper person", pass a training and safety course, and provide a "legitimate need" for ownership.

The permitted justifications include sport shooting or animal management, target or sport shooting, certain job-related needs, and collecting.

However, significant shortcomings remain. For instance, minors in some states can have use of a firearm from as young as pre-teen age.

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.

Automatic and semi-automatic rifles were outlawed, and vetting procedures alongside delays for sales were introduced.

A key tenet of these reforms was the rejection of "self-defence" as a acceptable grounds for gun ownership.

New Push for Gun Law Reform

In the immediate aftermath the Bondi shooting, political leaders were clear about the need to tighten gun laws.

A country-wide firearm surrender program was announced, marking the largest such effort since 1996.

Other planned reforms now under consideration include:

• Capping the number of guns an individual can possess.
• Ending "perpetual" licensing arrangements.
• Making permanent residency a condition for firearm ownership.
• Strengthening intelligence sharing during licence application processes.

There are also calls for periodic reassessments of existing licence holders, acknowledging that "people's circumstances can change" over time.

A Complicated Debate

These swift actions have met with opposition from some quarters.

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

They suggest that resources would be better spent combating radicalisation rather than tightening regulations for the overwhelming number of responsible owners.

Furthermore, a key proposed reform from 1996 – a national firearms register – remains incomplete, though it has now been listed as a key project.

A Painful Reminder

For long-time advocates, the Bondi attack is a horrific reminder that gun laws must keep pace with new threats.

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

While mass shootings remain infrequent in Australia compared to some nations, the threat persists, and the challenge of firearms circulating illegally – through poor storage – continues to pose a problem.

As one advocate noted, "It is regrettable that it takes such a loss of life to focus attention and pay heed."