Australia’s New South Wales to start gun buyback spurred by Bondi attack
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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the state’s gun buyback would start on Nov 2, offering cash for eligible handguns, shotguns and rifles.
PHOTO: AFP
- New South Wales will start a gun buyback scheme on Nov 2 to reduce firearms after the deadly Bondi Beach attack in 2025.
- The buyback offers up to A$1,000 for handguns, shotguns, and rifles exceeding the new four-gun ownership limit.
- The scheme aims to make communities safer by removing dangerous guns, with costs shared by federal and state governments.
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SYDNEY – Australia’s most populous state will start a gun buyback scheme in November, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Aug 15, launching a reform promised after 2025’s mass shooting at Bondi Beach.
A father-and-son duo are accused of opening fire on a Jewish celebration in New South Wales state last December, killing 15 people in one of Australia’s deadliest modern mass shootings.
The New South Wales authorities pledged a suite of gun control reforms in the wake of the attack, including a buyback scheme.
Albanese said the state’s gun buyback would start on Nov 2, offering cash for eligible handguns, shotguns and rifles.
“We must do everything we can to make sure the antisemitic terrorist attack in Bondi doesn’t happen again,” he said. “That includes meaningful nationwide gun reform.”
New South Wales has already passed laws restricting individuals to owning no more than four guns, with some exemptions for farmers.
The buyback scheme will be offered to gun owners who have more weapons than allowed under the new rules.
They will be paid as much as A$1,000 (S$906) depending on the type of gun, with costs split between the federal and state governments.
State premier Chris Minns said hundreds of thousands of guns could be returned.
“We want those guns handed in, compensated for and safely destroyed,” he said.
“This is a big undertaking, but the principle behind it is simple: fewer dangerous guns in our community means a safer New South Wales.”
The Australian authorities initially announced a nationwide gun buyback rolled out across all states and territories.
But those plans have stalled due to disagreements over who would foot the bill and how it should be implemented.
Gunman Sajid Akram, 50, was shot and killed by police during the assault at Sydney’s famed Bondi Beach on Dec 14.
His son Naveed, an Australian-born citizen who remains in prison, has been charged with terrorism and 15 murders. AFP
