Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Sunday that New South Wales will commence a gun buyback program on November 2, marking a central element of the national response to a deadly shooting that claimed 15 lives at a Jewish festival in Sydney.
Albanese’s centre-left government enacted the legislative framework for the buyback in January, introducing stronger vetting for gun licences and measures aimed at combating hate following the December 14 attack at a Bondi Beach Hanukkah celebration in Australia’s largest city. Authorities say the alleged assailants used powerful firearms that had been legally obtained.
Officials said people who hand in rifles and handguns under the scheme will be eligible for up to A$1,000 in compensation per firearm - a figure presented alongside a dollar equivalent of about $700. A separate government figure cited that Australia held a record 4.1 million firearms last year, with more than 1.1 million of those located in New South Wales.
Federal and state leaders characterized the buyback as the country’s largest since the post-Port Arthur campaign in 1996, which followed a massacre in Tasmania in which 35 people were killed. In televised remarks, Albanese said, "Australians are quite rightly proud of our gun laws, but the fact is there are more guns in Australia today than there were at the time of dealing with the Port Arthur gun buyback."
As part of the state-level reforms introduced after the Bondi Beach attack, New South Wales has imposed a limit that restricts individuals to possession of four guns. Authorities have attributed the Bondi Beach killings to a father and son who police believe were inspired by the militant group Islamic State.
One surviving suspect, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, remains before the courts and has yet to enter pleas to a range of charges, which include 15 counts of murder. The announcement of the buyback and the related legal and licence reforms form part of a coordinated response by federal and New South Wales officials.
Exchange rate context included in reporting shows $1 equals 1.4122 Australian dollars.
Summary of developments:
- New South Wales to start gun buyback on November 2 with up to A$1,000 compensation per returned rifle or handgun.
- Measures follow January laws tightening licence checks and actions to crack down on hate after a December 14 attack at a Bondi Beach Hanukkah event that killed 15 people.
- Australia held a record 4.1 million firearms last year, more than 1.1 million of which are in New South Wales.