The nation of Australia was long seen as a global exemplar in firearm regulation – the Bondi tragedy has exposed a much murkier situation.

On a weekend day in the year 1996, a single attacker armed with semi-automatic rifles murdered 35 people in the Australian tourist town of Port Arthur.

That national tragedy nearly a generation ago, which ushered in some of the most stringent weapons policies in the world, can seem like a bygone age for many residents.

However, the shooting at Bondi this past Sunday, which left 15 dead, has brought back painful recollections of the 1996 shootings.

Weapons Holdings at a Record High

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

This translates to approximately one gun for every seven Australians.

While the state of Queensland has the most registered guns, followed by NSW and Victoria, it is the island state and the NT that have the most guns per person.

The data also dispels the widespread belief that guns are mainly owned by people in regional areas.

Weapons are widespread in metropolitan and suburban areas, with a large share located in major cities.

Critically, there are now firearms concentrated among fewer owners, with the average licence holder possessing more than four firearms.

What Are Australia's Existing Weapons Policies?

Weapons legislation in Australia are not uniform across the country, with a mixed implementation of rules between different jurisdictions.

Broadly speaking, to secure a gun licence, an individual must be over 18, deemed a "suitable candidate", pass a safety program, and provide a "legitimate need" for ownership.

The accepted reasons include sport shooting or animal management, target or sport shooting, certain professional duties, and collecting.

However, significant gaps remain. For instance, individuals under 18 in some jurisdictions can have supervision of a firearm from as young as early adolescence.

Following the Port Arthur massacre, a comprehensive reform of national gun laws was enacted, leading to a massive buyback of over 650,000 firearms.

Rapid-fire weapons were banned, and vetting procedures alongside mandatory cooling-off periods for sales were introduced.

A key tenet of these reforms was the elimination of "self-defence" as a acceptable grounds for gun ownership.

Renewed Demands for Regulatory Tightening

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

A weapons collection initiative was proposed, marking the first such effort since 1996.

Other proposals now under consideration include:

• Restricting the number of guns an individual can legally own.
• Addressing "perpetual" licensing arrangements.
• Making formal citizenship a condition for firearm ownership.
• Improving intelligence sharing during licence application processes.

There are also calls for periodic reassessments of existing licence holders, acknowledging that "people's circumstances can change" over time.

An Ongoing Controversy

These swift actions have drawn criticism from some quarters.

Pro-gun advocates argue that limiting gun numbers would not have averted an attack driven by radicalisation.

They suggest that resources would be better spent improving intelligence rather than changing laws for the great bulk of licensed individuals.

Furthermore, a critical reform from 1996 – a country-wide gun database – remains unfinished, though it has now been listed as a urgent task.

Tragedy as a Wake-Up Call

For reformers, the Bondi attack is a tragic indication that policies must be updated with technological advances.

They argue that reform is needed to "keep up-to-date" and safeguard communities.

While mass shootings remain infrequent in Australia compared to some nations, the threat persists, and the challenge of weapons being misused – through theft – continues to pose a challenge.

As one advocate noted, "It's sad that it needs such a loss of life to focus attention and pay heed."