Australia is stepping up its response to the deadly Bondi Beach attack, with the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) committing to participate in the national Australia gun buyback Plan .
On August 22, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed the decision. The move is part of a larger initiative to limit the amount of firearms in Australian communities and improve public safety.
The statement follows the December 14, 2025 shooting at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach. The massacre at a Jewish celebration murdered 15 people and fueled Australia’s debate about gun restrictions, public safety, and antisemitism.
Australia Gun Buyback Gains Support From Canberra
The Australian Capital Territory, which includes Australia’s national capital Canberra, has agreed to launch a gun buyback program similar to the one being implemented in New South Wales (NSW).
Authorities have not yet stated when the ACT buyback scheme would start.
Albanese praised the ACT government’s decision and complimented the territory for cooperating with the federal government. He stated that the goal is to remove weapons from communities while strengthening Australians’ protections.
The prime minister further linked the restrictions to attempts to prevent another antisemitic terrorist act like the Bondi Beach disaster.
According to Albanese, the ACT now possesses over 23,000 weapons and over 7,000 licensed firearm holders. This makes the territory’s participation critical to Australia’s overall guns reform endeavor.
New South Wales was the first jurisdiction to formally commit to the federal plan. The repurchase program is set to commence on November 2, 2026.
Australia Gun Buyback Marks Major Shift After Deadly Attack
In January, the federal government announced laws to fund gun buybacks, strengthen firearm license checks, and combat hate and extremism.
Following the Bondi Beach incident, the measures aim to lower firearm dangers while strengthening Australia’s response to potential security threats.
Police believe that the two suspects responsible for the Bondi Beach shooting were a father and son who were inspired by Islamic State. Investigators stated that the guns used in the incident had been legally obtained.
The surviving defendant faces multiple charges, including 15 counts of murder. He hadn’t entered a plea at the time of the Reuters article.
Australia Gun Buyback Could Become One of the Largest
Australia’s proposed repurchase is important. According to government estimates, the country had approximately 4.1 million weapons in circulation last year.
The new scheme is projected to be Australia’s largest firearms buyback since the campaign following the 1996 Port Arthur tragedy in Tasmania, which killed 35 people.
The inclusion of the ACT boosts the national plan’s momentum. However, it emphasizes the difficulty of developing a standard guns policy across Australia’s states and territory.
The Albanese government’s top goal is to prevent access to potentially dangerous weapons and address community safety concerns in the wake of one of Australia’s most serious recent attacks.
The ACT’s move so signals both a practical guns policy and a broader government effort to reassure Australians that the lessons learned from the Bondi Beach tragedy are being implemented.
