Australia was long seen as a international standard-bearer in gun control – the Bondi tragedy has revealed a more complicated reality.

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

That national tragedy nearly three decades ago, which led to some of the toughest gun laws in the world, can seem like a bygone age for many citizens.

However, the shooting at Bondi this past Sunday, which resulted in 15 fatalities, has rekindled memories of the Port Arthur massacre.

Weapons Holdings at a Historic Peak

A analysis revealed that there are now over four million weapons owned by civilians across the country – a figure that is roughly two times the amount from the late 1990s.

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

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

The data also contradicts the popular notion that guns are mainly owned by those in the countryside.

Weapons are common in cities and their outskirts, with a significant portion located in major cities.

Critically, there are now weapons owned by a smaller group, with the registered individual possessing more than four firearms.

Examining Australia's Current Gun Laws?

Firearm regulations in Australia are not uniform across the country, with a disparate implementation of rules in various regions.

Broadly speaking, to obtain a gun licence, an individual must be of legal age, deemed a "suitable candidate", pass a safety program, and provide a "valid purpose" for ownership.

The accepted reasons include hunting or culling, competitive shooting, certain professional duties, and for collections.

However, significant loopholes remain. For instance, individuals under 18 in some states can have supervision of a firearm from as young as pre-teen age.

Following the Port Arthur massacre, a comprehensive reform of national gun laws was enacted, leading to a large-scale surrender scheme of over 650,000 firearms.

Certain types of firearms were banned, and security screenings alongside waiting periods for sales were introduced.

A key tenet of these reforms was the rejection of "home security" as a valid reason for gun ownership.

Renewed Demands for Firearm Policy Changes

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

A country-wide firearm surrender program was announced, marking the largest such effort since 1996.

Other suggested measures now under consideration include:

• Capping the number of guns an individual can possess.
• Ending "open-ended" licensing arrangements.
• Making formal citizenship a prerequisite for firearm ownership.
• Improving intelligence sharing during licence application processes.

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

A Nuanced Discussion

These swift actions have drawn criticism from some quarters.

Pro-gun advocates maintain that imposing caps would not have prevented an attack driven by violent beliefs.

They suggest that political capital would be better spent addressing root causes rather than tightening regulations for the great bulk of responsible owners.

Furthermore, a key proposed reform from 1996 – a centralised weapon tracking system – remains not yet operational, though it has now been listed as a key project.

A Catalyst for Change

For reformers, the Bondi attack is a horrific reminder that policies must be updated with changing times.

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

While mass shootings remain relatively rare in Australia compared to some nations, the risk persists, and the ongoing issue of weapons being misused – through poor storage – continues to pose a problem.

As one advocate noted, "It's sad that it takes such a loss of life to prompt action and take notice."