Australia had long been viewed as a world leader in weapons legislation – the Bondi tragedy has laid bare a more complicated situation.

On a spring day in the year 1996, a single attacker wielding semi-automatic rifles killed 35 people in the Tasmanian tourist destination of Port Arthur.

That national tragedy nearly thirty years ago, which ushered in some of the most stringent weapons policies in the world, can appear as a different era for many residents.

However, the tragedy in Bondi this past Sunday, which claimed 15 lives, has rekindled memories of the Port Arthur massacre.

Gun Ownership at a Unprecedented Level

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 nearly twice the amount from two decades prior.

This equates to approximately one firearm per seven citizens.

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

The data also challenges the widespread belief that guns are mostly possessed by people in regional areas.

Firearms are prevalent in urban centres, with a large share located in population centres.

Critically, there are now firearms concentrated among fewer owners, with the typical gun owner possessing several firearms.

Understanding Australia's Existing Weapons Policies?

Weapons legislation in Australia are not uniform across the country, with a mixed implementation of rules between different jurisdictions.

Typically, to secure a gun licence, an individual must be an adult, deemed a "fit and proper person", pass a competency test, and provide a "genuine reason" for ownership.

The accepted reasons include hunting or culling, competitive shooting, certain occupational requirements, and for collections.

However, significant loopholes remain. For instance, young people in some states can have supervision of a firearm from as young as pre-teen age.

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 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 Firearm Policy Changes

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

A weapons collection initiative was proposed, marking the most significant such effort since 1996.

Other suggested measures now under consideration include:

• Capping the number of guns an individual can have registered.
• Addressing "perpetual" licensing arrangements.
• Making Australian citizenship a requirement 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 Complicated Debate

These reform efforts have drawn criticism from some quarters.

Pro-gun advocates contend that restricting ownership would not have averted an attack driven by extremist ideology.

They suggest that focus would be better spent addressing root causes rather than tightening regulations for the great bulk of responsible owners.

Furthermore, a long-promised reform from 1996 – a country-wide gun database – remains incomplete, though it has now been listed as a priority.

A Painful Reminder

For long-time advocates, the Bondi attack is a stark warning that gun laws must keep pace with changing times.

They argue that modernisation is needed to "keep up-to-date" and safeguard communities.

While mass shootings remain relatively rare in Australia compared to some nations, the potential persists, and the legacy of firearms circulating illegally – through black markets – continues to pose a danger.

As one advocate noted, "It is unfortunate that it takes such a devastating event to get people to wake up and listen."