'Bondi Beach Attack Can Never Be Allowed Again': Australian PM Albanese Plans Gun Buyback

Last Updated:December 19, 2025, 07:32 IST

Anthony Albanese said that the buyback scheme was letting dangerous guns go off the Australian streets after the Bondi Beach terror attack that killed 15 people earlier this week.

Police cordon off an area at Bondi Beach after a reported shooting in Sydney (Photo: AP)

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday vowed tougher firearm laws as he said his country will launch a national gun buyback scheme, citing the need to prevent a repeat of the deadly terrorist attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach that killed 15 people on December 14.

In a series of posts on X, Albanese said the government was moving to remove “dangerous guns off our streets with a national buyback," as authorities continued to investigate what has been described as the deadliest mass shooting in Australia since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.

“Right now, there are more guns in Australia than there were during Port Arthur. We can’t allow that to continue," Albanese wrote, drawing a direct comparison to the 1996 tragedy that prompted some of the world’s toughest gun laws.

He added, “Non-citizens have no need to own a gun. And someone in suburban Sydney has no need to own six."

Albanese said one of the attackers involved in the Bondi Beach shooting had access to six firearms, a fact that has intensified scrutiny of Australia’s existing gun licensing framework.

“But that’s exactly what one of the terrorists from the weekend had access to," he mentioned.

The mass shooting occurred during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach, when two gunmen opened fire on crowds, killing 15 people and wounding dozens.

One of the gunmen, a 50-year-old man, was killed at the scene by police and was found to have held a valid firearm licence with six registered guns.

The second attacker was also shot by police. Authorities have said the attack appears to have been inspired by the Islamic State, Reuters reported.

Albanese said the federal government is working closely with state and territory governments to introduce stricter measures.

“We’re working with the states and territories on tough new gun laws, and together we will buy back newly banned and illegal firearms," he wrote on X.

The Prime Minister stressed that the Bondi attack must serve as a turning point.

“The deadly terrorist attack at Bondi Beach can never be allowed to happen again," he wrote, adding that while gun reforms alone would not address all security risks, “tougher gun laws aren’t the whole answer, but we will do everything it takes to keep Australians safe."

Reuters reported that Albanese said an estimated four million firearms are currently in Australia and that the planned buyback would target surplus, newly banned and illegal weapons, with costs shared between federal and state governments.

The proposed scheme would echo the landmark buyback introduced after Port Arthur, when about 640,000 prohibited firearms were surrendered nationwide at a cost of about A$304 million.

Earlier this week, the Associated Press had reported that Australian leaders had agreed to immediately overhaul gun control laws, including proposals to limit the number of guns an individual can own, review licences over time, and restrict gun ownership to Australian citizens.

Such measures would represent a significant update to the national firearms agreement introduced in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre.

AP also reported that Albanese described the Bondi violence as an act of antisemitic terrorism that struck “at the heart of the nation," amid heightened concerns over a surge in antisemitic incidents.

The government said it will also strengthen hate laws alongside firearm reforms.

As Australia mourns the victims, Reuters reported that hundreds of swimmers and surfers gathered at Bondi Beach on Friday to honour those killed, while security had been increased nationwide as authorities work to prevent further violence.

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