The nation of Australia was long seen as a world leader in gun control – the Bondi attack has laid bare a more complicated truth.

On a spring day in April 1996, a solitary shooter wielding powerful firearms took the lives of 35 people in the historic site of Port Arthur.

That national tragedy nearly thirty years ago, which sparked some of the toughest weapons policies in the world, can appear as a distant memory for many residents.

However, the shooting at Bondi this past Sunday, which left 15 dead, 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 guns in private hands across the country – a figure that is almost double the amount from two decades prior.

This equates to approximately one gun for every seven Australians.

While the state of Queensland has the most registered guns, followed by NSW and the state of Victoria, it is Tasmania and the NT that have the most guns per person.

The data also dispels the popular notion that guns are primarily held by those in the countryside.

Guns are common in metropolitan and suburban areas, with a large share located in major cities.

Critically, there are now more guns in fewer hands, with the average licence holder possessing more than four firearms.

Examining Australia's Present Firearm Regulations?

Firearm regulations in Australia are not uniform across the country, with a mixed implementation of rules across states and territories.

Generally, to secure a gun licence, an individual must be an adult, deemed a "suitable candidate", pass a training and safety course, and provide a "genuine reason" for ownership.

The accepted reasons include recreational hunting or pest control, competitive shooting, certain professional duties, and collecting.

However, significant gaps remain. For instance, minors in some areas 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 banned, and vetting procedures alongside delays 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 Gun Law Reform

In the wake the Bondi shooting, political leaders were clear about the need to bolster gun laws.

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

Other suggested measures now under consideration include:

• Capping the number of guns an individual can possess.
• Reforming "open-ended" licensing arrangements.
• Making Australian citizenship a condition for firearm ownership.
• Enhancing intelligence sharing during licence application processes.

There are also calls for periodic reassessments of existing licence holders, acknowledging that "people's circumstances can change" over time.

A Complicated Debate

These swift actions have sparked debate from some quarters.

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

They suggest that resources would be better spent combating radicalisation rather than restricting lawful owners for the great bulk of licensed individuals.

Furthermore, a long-promised reform from 1996 – a centralised weapon tracking system – remains not yet operational, though it has now been listed as a urgent task.

A Catalyst for Change

For long-time advocates, the Bondi attack is a stark warning that regulations must evolve with new threats.

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

While mass shootings remain relatively rare in Australia compared to some nations, the threat persists, and the legacy of guns in the wrong hands – through poor storage – continues to pose a problem.

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