Australia to launch largest gun buyback in 30 years after Bondi Beach terror attack killed 15
New South Wales will launch Australia's largest gun buyback in 30 years on November 2, offering up to A$1,000 per firearm, in response to the December 2025 Bondi Beach terror attack that killed 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration.
The buyback scheme
New South Wales will become the first Australian state to launch a gun buyback on November 2, 2026, jointly funded by the federal and NSW governments on a 50:50 cost-sharing basis. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns announced the scheme on Saturday as part of the national response to the December 14, 2025 Bondi Beach terror attack, in which 15 people were killed at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney. The buyback will run in two phases: the first from November 2 covering handguns, shotguns and rifles, and the second from early 2027 covering higher-value firearms valued above A$3,000, capped at A$10,000 per firearm. The federal government will contribute 50% of administration costs and fully fund the destruction of surrendered weapons.
- Bondi Beach Hanukkah attack kills 15 people in Sydney
- Federal government enacts gun buyback laws and tighter licensing checks
- Albanese and Minns announce buyback start date and compensation details
- Phase 1 of gun buyback begins in New South Wales
- Phase 2 begins, covering higher-value firearms above A$3,000
Compensation structure
Under Phase 1, revolvers will fetch A$1,000 and semi-automatic handguns A$850. Double-barrel shotguns carry A$850 in compensation, while single-barrel shotguns pay A$650. Rifles will earn between A$650 and A$1,000, and air rifles have a fixed rate of A$450. Businesses will be able to receive up to A$25,000 to help them adjust to the new rules, with additional support offered to gun dealers. Chris Minns said the scheme could lead to the surrender of hundreds of thousands of guns.
- Revolver
- 1000 A$
- Semi-automatic handgun
- 850 A$
- Double-barrel shotgun
- 850 A$
- Single-barrel shotgun
- 650 A$
- Rifle (range)
- 825 A$
- Air rifle
- 450 A$
The Bondi Beach attack
On December 14, 2025, 15 people including a 10-year-old girl and a Holocaust survivor were killed during Hanukkah celebrations near Bondi Beach, Australia's most famous beach. Police say the attack was carried out by a father and son believed to have been inspired by the militant group Islamic State. The surviving suspect, Naveed Akram, 24, has been charged with 15 counts of murder and has yet to enter pleas. The alleged gunmen used legally obtained powerful firearms.
Gun ownership in Australia
Australia had a record 4.1 million firearms last year, the government said, with more than 1.1 million of those in New South Wales. Albanese noted that there are more guns in Australia today than at the time of the 1996 Port Arthur buyback, which followed a massacre in which a gunman killed 35 people in Tasmania. NSW has since tightened its gun laws, limiting individuals to four firearms, with exceptions allowing farmers and professional shooters to own up to 10. Licence terms were reduced from five years to two, and some weapons were reclassified, including a ban on firearms that allow multiple shots without reloading.
Political opposition
Senator Pauline Hanson told Sky News, rebranded as News 24, that she opposes the buyback, arguing taxpayers should not pay for it. She suggested the scheme would affect law-abiding Australians, particularly farmers who need their guns. Hanson, who holds her own gun licence, said a different gun serves a different purpose and that policymakers need to understand guns.
We must do everything we can to make sure the antisemitic terrorist attack in Bondi doesn't happen again. That includes meaningful nationwide gun reform.
We want those guns handed in, compensated for and safely destroyed.
