The nation of Australia was widely regarded as a international standard-bearer in weapons legislation – the Bondi attack has exposed a more complicated situation.

On a Sunday afternoon in April 1996, a solitary shooter using powerful firearms killed 35 people in the Australian tourist town of Port Arthur.

That horrific event nearly thirty years ago, which sparked some of the strictest weapons policies in the world, can appear as a distant memory for many Australians.

However, the Bondi Beach attack this past Sunday, which resulted in 15 fatalities, has rekindled memories of the Port Arthur massacre.

Firearm Possession at a Historic Peak

A analysis revealed that there are now more than four million privately-owned firearms across the country – a figure that is nearly twice the amount from about 20 years ago.

This translates to approximately a weapon for each small group of people.

While Queensland has the highest number of legal firearms, followed by NSW and the state of Victoria, it is Tasmania and the Northern Territory that have the most guns per person.

The data also contradicts the common view that guns are primarily held by rural residents.

Guns are common in cities and their outskirts, with a sizable percentage located in population centres.

Critically, there are now weapons owned by a smaller group, with the average licence holder possessing over four firearms.

Understanding Australia's Present Firearm Regulations?

Firearm regulations in Australia are not uniform across the country, with a patchwork implementation of rules between different jurisdictions.

Broadly speaking, to secure a gun licence, an individual must be an adult, deemed a "fit and proper person", pass a safety program, and provide a "valid purpose" for ownership.

The allowable purposes include recreational hunting or pest control, marksmanship, certain occupational requirements, and collecting.

However, significant gaps remain. For instance, young people in some jurisdictions can have use of 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.

Certain types of firearms were prohibited, and vetting procedures alongside waiting periods for sales were introduced.

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

Fresh Calls for Regulatory Tightening

In the hours following the Bondi shooting, political leaders were unequivocal about the need to bolster gun laws.

A country-wide firearm surrender program was proposed, marking the most significant such effort since 1996.

Other proposals now under consideration include:

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

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

A Complicated Debate

These reform efforts have drawn criticism from some quarters.

Pro-gun advocates maintain that limiting gun numbers would not have stopped an attack driven by extremist ideology.

They suggest that focus would be better spent addressing root causes rather than restricting lawful owners for the overwhelming number of responsible owners.

Furthermore, a key proposed reform from 1996 – a country-wide gun database – remains incomplete, though it has now been listed as a key project.

A Painful Reminder

For long-time advocates, the Bondi attack is a horrific reminder that policies must keep pace with changing times.

They argue that reform is needed to "remain effective" and prevent future tragedies.

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

As one advocate stated, "It is unfortunate that it needs such a tragedy to get people to wake up and take notice."