Australia’s leading public-health, community-safety and firearm-harm prevention organisations today issued a joint call for urgent reform of Australia’s firearms laws following the fatal attack at Bondi in which 15 people were killed while attending a Jewish community celebration.
We extend our deepest condolences to the victims – who were specifically targeted in this terror attack – and to their families and loved ones. Australians should be able to gather, celebrate and practise their faith without fear of gun violence.
Australia’s firearms framework was established after the Port Arthur tragedy in 1996 and has saved countless lives. The National Firearms Agreement (NFA) demonstrated that strong, evidence-based gun laws work.
However, nearly three decades on, Australia’s gun laws have not kept pace with changes in firearm technology, patterns of ownership and contemporary risk factors.
Firearm ownership in Australia is a privilege, not a right, and it must be justified by genuine public-interest needs. Authorities have confirmed that the weapons used in the Bondi attack were legally owned, exposing serious gaps in licensing, firearm categorisation, storage, oversight and national coordination. We need to reduce the number of firearms circulating in the community.
National Cabinet has agreed “strong and focused action” is needed on gun-law reform, including renegotiating the NFA to ensure it remains as robust as possible.
We welcome the National Cabinet’s decision to reform Australia’s gun laws, and we call for the following reforms that build on the original lifesaving framework and address its current shortcomings.
A Plan of Action to Reduce Firearm Harm
- Remove the recreational hunting licence category
The use of firearms for enjoyment does not constitute a public-safety justification for widespread private firearm ownership. If a firearm is not required for genuine occupational need, primary production, or tightly regulated professional use, the user should not be licensed. - Further restrict high-capability firearms
Firearms with features that enable rapid or mass harm – including magazines and rapid-reload capability – must be reclassified into the most restrictive categories and removed from general civilian access. These reforms must be supported by a funded national amnesty and buy-back program. For example, centrefire rifles and lever-action shotguns with magazines must be reclassified as Category C or D. - End metropolitan home storage for non-occupational firearms
Firearms are lethal weapons, not household items. For non-occupational use, firearms should not be stored in suburban homes. Firearms used for sporting or club purposes should be stored exclusively in accredited club armouries with professional security standards, strict access controls and auditable custody logs. - Limit the number of firearms per individual
Caps must be placed on the number of firearms an individual can own to reduce stockpiling and limit diversion, theft and misuse. Standards should require each person to have no more than the minimum number of firearms that is necessary for their licensed purpose. The overwhelming majority of firearms users should only require a single firearm. - Explicitly prohibit the use of firearms by children
All jurisdictions circumvent the NFA by allowing junior permits. This is allowing children as young as 12 to legally use firearms. There is no public benefit in this other than creating a new generation of firearm enthusiasts. Today, a 13-year-old child cannot use Facebook, but they can legally use guns. - Introduce robust, renewable licensing
Firearm licences must move away from “set-and-forget” models toward regular, in-person renewals. “Fit and proper person” assessments should be strengthened with risk-based checks and mandatory security reviews informed by criminal intelligence. - Establish national reporting and oversight
Create a national firearms monitoring institute to collect and publish consistent data, evaluate firearm harms and oversee compliance across jurisdictions. This body should be independently funded, including through a levy on firearm clubs and licensing systems. - End unlicensed shooting
Allowing people to shoot at public ranges without a licence undermines the entire licensing system and has led to deaths in the community. - Ban political donations from the firearm industry
Certain states ban political donations from prohibited industries ranging from property developers to liquor companies. The firearms industry should be similarly prohibited. - Establish a National Firearms Safety Council
The voice of the community and the imperative of public safety must be heard clearly in policy discussions. The establishment of a National Firearms Safety Council would assist national dialogue and leadership on gun law.
Honouring those killed at Bondi requires more than words of sympathy. It requires renewed political courage and a recommitment to the principle that public safety must always come before private access to lethal weapons.
Australia has led the world before. We can, and must, do so again.
Statements attributable to:
“The National Firearms Agreement is 30 years old – there have been changes to firearm technology, to ownership patterns, to community expectations. It is time to renew the Agreement and re-prioritise public safety. The Bondi horrors reveal the need for reform.” – Professor Joel Negin, School of Public Health, University of Sydney
“This is a horrific reminder of the need to stay vigilant against violence, and of the importance of ensuring our gun laws continue to protect the safety of all Australians.” – Walter Mikac, AM
“We welcome the National Cabinet’s action on gun control. Almost 30 years after the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians demand tightened and updated gun laws because “guns for fun” is not acceptable.” – Adjunct Professor Terry Slevin, CEO Public Health Association of Australia
“Firearms licensing has to be tightened to stem the flood of guns hiding in our suburbs. With sometimes tens or even hundreds of guns under one license holder’s legal genuine reason, we have to question the law’s ability to keep the Australian public safe from gun violence.” – Tim Quinn, President, Gun Control Australia
“There are now over 4 million guns in Australia, more than before the Port Arthur tragedy. We know how to reduce gun numbers in Australia and we know it works. It’s time for state and federal governments to prioritise public safety, reduce the number of guns in Australia and reform our gun laws.” – Rod Campbell, Research Director at The Australia Institute
