Australia was long seen as a international standard-bearer in weapons legislation – the Bondi attack has exposed a much murkier truth.

On a spring day in 1996, a lone gunman armed with rapid-fire weapons killed 35 people in the Australian tourist town of Port Arthur.

That massacre nearly three decades ago, which sparked some of the toughest firearm regulations in the world, can appear as a different era for many Australians.

However, the tragedy in Bondi this past Sunday, which resulted in 15 fatalities, has brought back painful recollections of the 1996 shootings.

Gun Ownership at a Record High

A study released earlier this year revealed that there are now in excess of four million weapons owned by civilians across the country – a figure that is almost double the amount from two decades prior.

This translates to approximately one gun for every seven Australians.

While Queensland has the highest number of legal firearms, followed by New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria, it is the island state and the NT that have the highest rate of firearm ownership.

The data also dispels the common view that guns are mainly owned by rural residents.

Weapons are prevalent in urban centres, with a significant portion located in major cities.

Critically, there are now weapons owned by a smaller group, with the registered individual possessing several firearms.

What Are Australia's Present Firearm Regulations?

Firearm regulations in Australia are inconsistent across the country, with a disparate implementation of rules between different jurisdictions.

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

The accepted reasons include recreational hunting or pest control, target or sport shooting, certain professional duties, and as a hobby.

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

Following the Port Arthur massacre, a sweeping overhaul of national gun laws was enacted, leading to a large-scale surrender scheme of over 650,000 firearms.

Certain types of firearms were prohibited, and background checks alongside waiting periods for sales were introduced.

A key tenet of these reforms was the elimination of "personal protection" as a acceptable grounds for gun ownership.

Renewed Demands for Regulatory Tightening

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

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

Other planned reforms now under consideration include:

• Limiting the number of guns an individual can possess.
• Reforming "perpetual" licensing arrangements.
• Making formal citizenship a prerequisite for firearm ownership.
• Strengthening intelligence sharing during background check processes.

There are also calls for ongoing evaluations of existing licence holders, acknowledging that "individuals can be radicalised" over time.

An Ongoing Controversy

These reform efforts have sparked debate from some quarters.

Pro-gun advocates maintain that restricting ownership would not have averted an attack driven by violent beliefs.

They suggest that political capital would be better spent improving intelligence rather than changing laws for the vast majority of law-abiding citizens.

Furthermore, a long-promised reform from 1996 – a national firearms register – remains incomplete, though it has now been listed as a key project.

A Catalyst for Change

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

They argue that modernisation is needed to "keep up-to-date" and protect public safety.

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

As one advocate noted, "It is regrettable that it takes such a loss of life to focus attention and take notice."