Australian state to launch gun buyback after Bondi Beach attack

New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, will launch a gun buyback scheme later this year, becoming the first in the country to offer cash for firearms following the Bondi Beach terror attack. Gun owners in the state will be compensated up to AUS$1,000 (£523) to surrender eligible handguns, shotguns, and rifles from November 2.

This move aims to destroy hundreds of thousands of firearms, following the tragic incident last December where 15 people, including a 10-year-old girl and Holocaust survivor, were killed during Hanukkah celebrations on Bondi Beach, located in New South Wales. Premier Chris Minns announced the scheme, stating, “We want those guns handed in, compensated for and safely destroyed.”

The reform, already introduced in the state, limits individuals to owning four firearms, though certain groups can own up to 10. The buyback will be rolled out in two phases, starting November and covering handguns, shotguns, and rifles. Later next year, the second phase will include higher-value firearms valued over AUS$3,000, capped at AUS$10,000.

The initiative is jointly funded by New South Wales and the federal government, with businesses supported up to AUS$25,000 for adjustment and assistance offered to gun dealers. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphasized the urgency of meaningful nationwide gun reform following the Bondi Beach attack, stating, “We must do everything we can to ensure such an antisemitic terrorist attack does not occur again.”