Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on January 26 that New South Wales will launch a paid gun buyback program starting November 2, as part of a nationwide response to the deadly attack at Bondi Beach last year. Under the plan, residents who surrender handguns or rifles will receive up to A$1,000 (about $700) per firearm.
Speaking on television, Albanese said the program is accompanied by stricter firearm license checks and enhanced measures to prevent hate-motivated crimes. This is a direct response to the shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney on December 14, 2025, which killed 15 people. The attackers reportedly used high-powered weapons that were legally purchased.
According to government data, Australians owned a record 4.1 million firearms last year, with more than 1.1 million in New South Wales, the country's most populous state.
"Australians are rightly proud of our gun laws, but the reality is that Australia now has more guns than at the time of the Port Arthur buyback," Albanese stressed. The 1996 Port Arthur attack, in which a lone gunman killed 35 people, led to extensive restrictions on automatic and semi-automatic firearms in Australia.
Following the Bondi Beach incident, the New South Wales government enacted legislation limiting individuals to a maximum of four firearms. Police confirmed the attack was carried out by a father and son inspired by ISIL (IS). Surviving suspect Naveed Akram, 24, has not yet entered a plea to multiple charges, including 15 counts of murder.
