Australia had long been viewed as a global exemplar in gun control – the Bondi attack has laid bare a more complicated reality.

On a spring day in April 1996, a single attacker armed with semi-automatic rifles took the lives of 35 people in the Tasmanian tourist destination of Port Arthur.

That horrific event nearly three decades ago, which ushered in some of the strictest gun laws in the world, can appear as a bygone age for many Australians.

However, the shooting at Bondi this past Sunday, which left 15 dead, has brought back painful recollections of the Tasmanian tragedy.

Gun Ownership at a Record High

A analysis revealed that there are now over four million guns in private hands across the country – a figure that is nearly twice 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 New South Wales (NSW) and the state of Victoria, it is Tasmania and the NT that have the highest rate of firearm ownership.

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

Guns are common in metropolitan and suburban areas, with a large share located in population centres.

Critically, there are now weapons owned by a smaller group, with the average licence holder possessing more than four firearms.

What Are Australia's Current Gun Laws?

Gun control laws in Australia are varied across the country, with a mixed implementation of rules in various regions.

Typically, to apply for a gun licence, an individual must be an adult, deemed a "fit and proper person", pass a training and safety course, and provide a "legitimate need" for ownership.

The permitted justifications include hunting or culling, competitive shooting, certain occupational requirements, and collecting.

However, significant loopholes remain. For instance, young people in some states can have supervision of a firearm from as young as 10 or 12 years old.

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

Rapid-fire weapons were banned, and background checks alongside mandatory cooling-off periods for sales were introduced.

A key tenet of these reforms was the elimination of "self-defence" as a acceptable grounds for gun ownership.

Renewed Demands for Regulatory Tightening

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

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

Other planned reforms now under consideration include:

• Limiting the number of guns an individual can legally own.
• Reforming "open-ended" licensing arrangements.
• Making permanent residency a prerequisite for firearm ownership.
• Enhancing intelligence sharing during vetting processes.

There are also calls for regular reviews of existing licence holders, acknowledging that "situations evolve" over time.

An Ongoing Controversy

These proposed changes have drawn criticism from some quarters.

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

They suggest that resources would be better spent addressing root causes rather than tightening regulations for the vast majority of law-abiding citizens.

Furthermore, a critical reform from 1996 – a centralised weapon tracking system – remains unfinished, though it has now been listed as a urgent task.

Tragedy as a Wake-Up Call

For campaigners, the Bondi attack is a stark warning that gun laws must be updated with new threats.

They argue that strengthening is needed to "remain effective" and protect public safety.

While mass shootings remain infrequent in Australia compared to some nations, the risk persists, and the challenge of firearms circulating illegally – through theft – continues to pose a danger.

As one advocate noted, "It is regrettable that it needs such a tragedy to get people to wake up and listen."