A nation shaken by a brutal Bondi Beach massacre is rolling out a sweeping gun-control plan designed to remove hundreds of thousands of firearms from circulation. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced at a Canberra press conference a national buy-back scheme aimed at acquiring surplus, newly banned, and illegal firearms, with legislation to support the funding and costs to be shared between the Commonwealth and the states and territories. "We expect hundreds of thousands of firearms will be collected and destroyed through this scheme," he stated.
He also revealed a day of reflection for the victims on December 21, during which flags on all New South Wales and Australian government buildings would be flown at half-mast, followed by a national day of mourning in the coming year.
Meanwhile, hundreds of surfers took to Bondi’s waves on Friday morning for a paddle-out, uniting with the victims’ families and standing against fear and hatred. Lifeguards Jimmy and Rupert, who helped in the rescue efforts, spoke at the event, sharing their experiences of trauma and the community’s path toward healing.
The government said investigations into the attack’s motivation and methods are ongoing, with the National Security Committee meeting six times since the incident. Albanese noted that the office of national intelligence has identified a regular online ISIS video feed reinforcing that the attack was ISIS-inspired, and added that security agencies would continue to work and receive whatever support they need during this difficult period.
Under the buy-back scheme, states and territories will be responsible for collecting the weapons and processing payments to individuals who surrender firearms, while federal police will oversee destruction of the arms.
"The terrible events of Bondi show we need to get more guns off our streets," Albanese said, calling the plan the largest gun buy-back since 1996.
Australia already has some of the world’s toughest gun restrictions and among the lowest gun-homicide rates. The framework was tightened almost 30 years ago after the Port Arthur massacre, when a lone gunman armed with semiautomatic weapons killed 35 people in Tasmania. In response, authorities introduced stringent ownership rules and launched a major gun amnesty and buy-back that removed more than 650,000 newly prohibited firearms from circulation.
Yet Albanese cautioned that there are currently more than four million firearms in the country, more than at the time of Port Arthur.
Friday also marked the funerals of Bondi victims Boris Tetleroyd and Edith Brutman, as well as Boris and Sofia Gurman. In the Sydney suburb of Woollahra, mourners gathered at Chevra Kadisha Memorial Hall to bid farewell to the Gurmans, who were captured in dashcam footage confronting one of the suspected shooters. The couple, aged 69 and 61, were soon to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary and were described by family and friends as longtime Bondi locals who cherished their community. A GoFundMe page described Tetleroyd as a beloved husband and father who was attending a Hanukkah event with his son when the gunfire erupted. Brutman was remembered for standing up against discrimination, with colleagues calling her a decent, hardworking friend with a big heart and evident passion.
Controversy & Conversation: Do you think a nationwide buy-back like this will meaningfully reduce gun violence, or could it raise questions about individual rights and the practicality of enforcement? What balance would you strike between safety measures and personal property rights, and what other policies would you include to address the roots of such attacks?
