Australia was long seen as a world leader in firearm regulation – the Bondi tragedy has exposed a far more complex truth.

On a Sunday afternoon in 1996, a solitary shooter wielding semi-automatic rifles killed 35 people in the Australian tourist town of Port Arthur.

That massacre nearly a generation ago, which led to some of the most stringent weapons policies in the world, can seem like a distant memory for many citizens.

However, the tragedy in Bondi this past Sunday, which left 15 dead, has revived the ghosts of the 1996 shootings.

Firearm Possession at a Historic Peak

A analysis revealed that there are now in excess of four million guns in private hands across the country – a figure that is roughly two times the amount from two decades prior.

This means approximately one firearm per seven citizens.

While Queensland has the largest arsenal, followed by New South Wales (NSW) and the state of Victoria, it is the island state and the Northern Territory that have the most guns per person.

The data also contradicts the popular notion that guns are mainly owned by people in regional areas.

Guns are widespread in cities and their outskirts, with a sizable percentage located in urban hubs.

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

Understanding Australia's Present Firearm Regulations?

Firearm regulations in Australia are inconsistent across the country, with a patchwork implementation of rules across states and territories.

Generally, to apply for a gun licence, an individual must be over 18, deemed a "responsible individual", pass a competency test, and provide a "legitimate need" for ownership.

The allowable purposes include recreational hunting or pest control, competitive shooting, certain professional duties, and for collections.

However, significant loopholes remain. For instance, individuals under 18 in some jurisdictions can have access to a firearm from as young as early adolescence.

Following the Port Arthur massacre, a major rewrite of national gun laws was enacted, leading to a voluntary hand-in of over 650,000 firearms.

Automatic and semi-automatic rifles were outlawed, and background checks alongside mandatory cooling-off periods for sales were introduced.

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

New Push for Gun Law Reform

In the immediate aftermath the Bondi shooting, political leaders were clear about the need to bolster gun laws.

A national gun buyback scheme was unveiled, marking the most significant such effort since 1996.

Other proposals now under consideration include:

• Capping the number of guns an individual can have registered.
• Ending "open-ended" licensing arrangements.
• Making Australian citizenship a prerequisite for firearm ownership.
• Enhancing intelligence sharing during licence application processes.

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

A Nuanced Discussion

These reform efforts have drawn criticism from some quarters.

Pro-gun advocates argue that imposing caps would not have prevented an attack driven by violent beliefs.

They suggest that political capital would be better spent combating radicalisation rather than tightening regulations for the overwhelming number of law-abiding citizens.

Furthermore, a long-promised reform from 1996 – a centralised weapon tracking system – 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 horrific reminder that policies must be updated with changing times.

They argue that modernisation is needed to "remain effective" and protect public safety.

While mass shootings remain uncommon in Australia compared to some nations, the threat persists, and the challenge of firearms circulating illegally – through theft – continues to pose a problem.

As one advocate reflected, "It's sad that it requires such a devastating event to focus attention and listen."