Australia was widely regarded as a international standard-bearer in gun control – the Bondi attack has laid bare a much murkier situation.

On a weekend day in April 1996, a lone gunman using rapid-fire weapons murdered 35 people in the Australian tourist town of Port Arthur.

That national tragedy nearly thirty years ago, which led to some of the most stringent gun laws in the world, can seem like a distant memory for many Australians.

However, the tragedy in Bondi this past Sunday, which claimed 15 lives, has revived the ghosts of the Port Arthur massacre.

Firearm Possession at a Historic Peak

A recent report revealed that there are now more than four million guns in private hands across the country – a figure that is almost double the amount from the late 1990s.

This means approximately a weapon for each small group of people.

While the state of 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 challenges the widespread belief that guns are mostly possessed by rural residents.

Weapons are prevalent in urban centres, 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.

What Are Australia's Current Gun Laws?

Firearm regulations in Australia are varied across the country, with a disparate implementation of rules across states and territories.

Typically, to apply for a gun licence, an individual must be an adult, deemed a "fit and proper person", pass a competency test, and provide a "valid purpose" for ownership.

The accepted reasons include hunting or culling, marksmanship, certain occupational requirements, and collecting.

However, significant loopholes remain. For instance, minors in some jurisdictions can have access to 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 massive buyback of over 650,000 firearms.

Automatic and semi-automatic rifles were prohibited, and background checks alongside delays for sales were introduced.

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

New Push for Regulatory Tightening

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

A national gun buyback scheme was proposed, marking the largest such effort since 1996.

Other planned reforms now under consideration include:

• Capping the number of guns an individual can have registered.
• Addressing "perpetual" licensing arrangements.
• Making permanent residency a condition for firearm ownership.
• Enhancing intelligence sharing during background check processes.

There are also calls for regular reviews of existing licence holders, acknowledging that "individuals can be radicalised" over time.

An Ongoing Controversy

These proposed changes have sparked debate from some quarters.

Pro-gun advocates argue that restricting ownership would not have averted an attack driven by extremist ideology.

They suggest that political capital would be better spent improving intelligence rather than restricting lawful owners for the overwhelming number of licensed individuals.

Furthermore, a long-promised reform from 1996 – a country-wide gun database – remains incomplete, though it has now been listed as a key project.

A Painful Reminder

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 prevent future tragedies.

While mass shootings remain infrequent in Australia compared to some nations, the risk persists, and the legacy of firearms circulating illegally – through theft – continues to pose a challenge.

As one advocate noted, "It's sad that it takes such a devastating event to prompt action and take notice."