New South Wales will start a gun buyback scheme on Nov. 2, marking the first phase of Australia’s broader effort to tighten firearm laws after a deadly attack at Bondi Beach, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Sunday.
The scheme offers fixed compensation ranging from $450 to $1,000 per firearm, with a second phase providing a valuation pathway for higher-value firearms, capped at $10,000. Albanese and New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said the initiative aims to remove firearms from circulation and enhance public safety.
The attack at a Hanukkah celebration on Dec. 14, which killed 15 people, was carried out by two individuals who obtained their firearms legally. Australian authorities reported a record 4.1 million firearms nationwide last year, including more than 1.1 million in New South Wales.
Albanese emphasized the need for gun reform, stating, “We must do everything we can to make sure the antisemitic terrorist attack in Bondi doesn’t happen again. That includes meaningful nationwide gun reform.” The effort is expected to be Australia’s largest buyback since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, which resulted in 35 deaths.
New South Wales has imposed stricter firearm restrictions, limiting individual ownership to four guns, with exemptions for certain license holders. About 274,000 registered firearms—roughly 24% of the state’s total—are affected by the new limits, along with approximately 50,000 license holders.
Premier Minns said the government is committed to removing guns no longer permitted by law. “There are potentially hundreds of thousands of firearms affected,” he said. “We want those guns handed in, compensated for and safely destroyed. Fewer dangerous guns mean a safer New South Wales.”
The attack was reportedly carried out by father and son, Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram, who authorities believe were inspired by Islamic State. Sajid Akram was shot and killed by police, while Naveed Akram, 24, faces 59 charges, including 15 counts of murder and a terrorist act.
Ahmed al Ahmed was praised for disarming one of the gunmen; he sustained gunshot wounds and continues to recover. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Australia has strengthened hate speech and hate crime laws since the attack, describing them as the strongest in the country’s history. Burke added, “Today we continue the proud Australian tradition of sensible gun reform designed to protect our community from weapons which have no utility other than to cause harm.”
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
