CANBERRA/SYDNEY — Australia’s sweeping response to the deadly Bondi Beach terror attack is expanding, with the Australian Capital Territory agreeing to join a national gun-buyback program as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pushes states and territories toward tougher and more consistent firearms laws.
The ACT, which includes the national capital Canberra, has reached a funding agreement with the federal government to participate in the proposed buyback, adding momentum to reforms introduced after the December 14, 2025 Bondi Beach attack that killed 15 people attending a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney.
The attack became one of the most consequential mass shootings in modern Australian politics, reopening a national debate over firearm ownership, licensing standards, extremism and whether the country’s gun laws remain strong enough three decades after the landmark reforms that followed the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.
Canberra joins the gun-buyback push
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that the ACT would take part in the program, saying national firearms reform was an important part of preventing another attack like Bondi.
The ACT currently has about 23,000 registered firearms and more than 7,000 firearms licence holders, according to government figures. ABC News reported that roughly 14 percent of ACT licence holders could be affected by proposed firearm ownership caps.
Under the funding agreement, the Commonwealth will cover 75 percent of the cost of firearm purchases and associated administration in the ACT, as well as 100 percent of the cost of destroying surrendered firearms. The ACT government will fund the remainder.
The exact start date and compensation rates for the ACT program have not yet been announced.
That distinction is important: while Canberra has agreed to participate, New South Wales is currently further ahead in implementing the scheme.
NSW buyback begins November 2
New South Wales, where the Bondi attack occurred, will begin its gun-buyback program on November 2, 2026.
Authorities estimate the reforms could affect as many as 274,000 registered firearms, representing roughly one-quarter of the state’s registered gun stock.
Under the first phase, compensation announced by the NSW and federal governments includes:
- A$1,000 for revolvers
- A$850 for semi-automatic handguns
- A$850 for double-barrel shotguns
- A$650 for single-barrel shotguns
- A$650 to A$1,000 for rifles
- A$450 for air rifles
A second phase expected in early 2027 will provide compensation for some higher-value firearms, with payments potentially reaching A$10,000 per eligible weapon.
NSW Premier Chris Minns has acknowledged that the program could cost hundreds of millions of Australian dollars, but has argued that reducing the number of firearms in circulation is worth the expense.
Why the Bondi attack changed the debate
Police allege that the Bondi Beach attackers were a father and son inspired by Islamic State. Authorities have said that powerful firearms used in the attack had been legally obtained.
The surviving suspect has not yet entered pleas to numerous charges, including 15 counts of murder, Reuters reported.
The attack intensified scrutiny of Australia’s firearms licensing system because it raised a disturbing question: how could weapons capable of inflicting mass casualties remain legally accessible despite Australia already having some of the world’s most restrictive gun laws?
In January, the Albanese government enacted legislation supporting a national gun-buyback framework, stronger firearms licence checks and additional measures targeting hate and extremism.
The reforms also come at a time when firearm ownership has been climbing. The Australian government says the country had a record 4.1 million registered firearms in 2025.
ACT proposes even tighter firearm limits
The gun buyback is only one part of Canberra’s response.
The ACT government has separately proposed legislation that would generally limit licensed owners to five firearms, although some occupational and sporting shooters could qualify for limits of up to 10.
The proposed legislation would also criminalise possession of blueprints for 3D-printed firearms, prohibit belt-fed weapons and change the classification of several firearm types. The bill remains before the ACT Legislative Assembly.
But Australia is still divided over the national plan
Albanese’s ambition for a truly nationwide buyback faces political resistance.
Queensland and Victoria have previously resisted joining the federal proposal in its current form, while political opponents and gun-owner groups argue that the reforms disproportionately affect licensed and law-abiding firearm owners rather than criminals or extremists.
Western Australia has already carried out its own large-scale firearm buyback, with ABC reporting that around 83,000 guns had been surrendered under the state’s program.
The differences between jurisdictions underline the central challenge facing Albanese: Australia may have national ambitions for gun reform, but firearms regulation is heavily influenced by state and territory governments.
That means the success of the post-Bondi reforms could ultimately depend not only on how many firearms are surrendered, but on whether Australia’s states can agree on consistent rules governing who can own guns, how many they can possess and which weapons remain legal.
Australia returns to the legacy of Port Arthur
The new program is expected to become Australia’s largest gun-buyback effort since the reforms introduced following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, where 35 people were killed.
Those reforms reshaped Australian firearm policy and became an internationally cited example of large-scale gun-control legislation.
Thirty years later, the Bondi Beach attack has forced Australia to confront a different version of the same question: whether laws once considered among the toughest in the world have kept pace with rising firearm numbers, changing technology and the threat of ideologically motivated violence.
With Canberra now joining New South Wales, the Albanese government has gained another partner.
But the bigger test is still ahead: whether the rest of Australia will follow.
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