Australia's capital to join gun buyback in response to Bondi Beach attack: Alban...
Albanese's center-left government enacted laws in January for the gun buyback, tighter checks for gun licences and a crackdown on hate in the wake of the gun attack at a Bondi Beach Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, the capital of New South Wales state, on Dec. 14, 2025.
Australia's capital, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), is set to join a nationwide gun buyback program following a tragic shooting at Bondi Beach. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the decision on Saturday, in response to the Dec. 14 shooting that killed 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney.
The ACT, home to the national capital Canberra, will be the first of Australia's states to commit to the scheme, launching on Nov. 2. The government enacted laws in January for the buyback, tighter licensing checks, and a crackdown on hate speech in the wake of the Bondi Beach attack.
The ACT currently has 23,000 guns and over 7,000 firearms license holders. The buyback will aim to remove guns from the streets to better protect Australians. Albanese thanked the ACT Government for their collaboration in this effort.
Police suspect the shooters, a father and son inspired by Islamic State, used legally obtained firearms during the Bondi Beach attack. The surviving suspect has yet to enter pleas to 15 murder charges. Australia had a record 4.1 million firearms last year, making this the country's largest gun buyback since a similar campaign following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, where a gunman killed 35 people.
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