Australia was long seen as a global exemplar in weapons legislation – Bondi has revealed a much murkier situation.

On a weekend day in the year 1996, a lone gunman wielding semi-automatic rifles murdered 35 people in the Australian tourist town of Port Arthur.

That horrific event nearly thirty years ago, which ushered in some of the toughest gun laws in the world, can feel like a different era for many Australians.

However, the shooting at Bondi this past Sunday, which resulted in 15 fatalities, has revived the ghosts of the 1996 shootings.

Weapons Holdings at a Unprecedented Level

A study released earlier this year revealed that there are now more than four million privately-owned firearms across the country – a figure that is roughly two times the amount from about 20 years ago.

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

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

The data also dispels the popular notion that guns are mainly owned by people in regional areas.

Firearms are prevalent in cities and their outskirts, with a sizable percentage located in urban hubs.

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

Examining Australia's Present Firearm Regulations?

Firearm regulations in Australia are varied across the country, with a patchwork implementation of rules in various regions.

Broadly speaking, to obtain a gun licence, an individual must be over 18, deemed a "responsible individual", pass a training and safety course, and provide a "legitimate need" for ownership.

The allowable purposes include hunting or culling, competitive shooting, certain professional duties, and as a hobby.

However, significant gaps remain. For instance, individuals under 18 in some states can have access to 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.

Certain types of firearms were banned, and security screenings alongside mandatory cooling-off periods for sales were introduced.

A key tenet of these reforms was the removal of "personal protection" as a justifiable cause for gun ownership.

Fresh Calls for Gun Law Reform

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

A weapons collection initiative was unveiled, marking the largest such effort since 1996.

Other proposals now under consideration include:

• Limiting the number of guns an individual can have registered.
• Reforming "perpetual" licensing arrangements.
• Making permanent residency a condition for firearm ownership.
• Enhancing intelligence sharing during vetting processes.

There are also calls for regular reviews of existing licence holders, acknowledging that "situations evolve" over time.

A Complicated Debate

These swift actions have met with opposition from some quarters.

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

They suggest that political capital would be better spent improving intelligence rather than restricting lawful owners for the overwhelming number of responsible owners.

Furthermore, a long-promised reform from 1996 – a centralised weapon tracking system – remains unfinished, though it has now been listed as a urgent task.

A Catalyst for Change

For long-time advocates, the Bondi attack is a tragic indication that policies must be updated with changing times.

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

While mass shootings remain relatively rare in Australia compared to some nations, the threat persists, and the legacy of weapons being misused – through theft – continues to pose a challenge.

As one advocate stated, "It's sad that it requires such a loss of life to focus attention and listen."