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Following the tragedy of the horrific incident at Bondi, Australia is confronting multiple critical reckonings. We are seeing a long-overdue national spotlight on antisemitism, an ongoing concern about public safety, and inquiries about how such an tragedy could occur. However, from the perspective of a public health expert and Australian Jew, the most important discussion we are finally having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Cautions and a Proven Solution

Public health specialists have been issuing warnings about guns for at least a decade. Following the events of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians united and enacted a series of reforms to reduce gun violence across the country. The strategy succeeded. Prior to 1996, the nation experienced roughly one large-scale firearm incident per year. Over the following years, there have been extremely rare major events, with none approaching the fatalities of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Attack and the Role of Existing Regulations

Even during the Bondi tragedy, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. Reports indicate the alleged attackers possessed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These weapons are limited to firing a one round at a time, necessitating a physical action to ready the next round. While these guns can be fired rapidly with devastating effect, they remain significantly less rapid and less efficient than the high-capacity, semi-automatic rifles frequently used in international attacks. The number of deaths at Bondi would've been far higher if more advanced firearms had been available.

Preventing a future Bondi requires unity across all states. And unfortunately, there are already fissures in the facade.

Legislation Under Strain

Yet, the horrific toll of the incident demonstrates that current gun laws are inadequate. Designed in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, years have worn away their effectiveness. Alarmingly, there are now a greater number of guns in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in cities reportedly holding arsenals of hundreds of weapons.

The nation has grown overconfident and it has cost us terribly.

The Path Forward: Proposed Changes

In the time after the Bondi attack, there have been multiple announcements regarding strengthened firearm legislation. New South Wales in particular will soon enact a package of measures to reduce the collective risk from firearms. The federal government has announced a new gun buyback, and there is hope for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal governments.

All of this are only possible if the nation works together. As noted, when it comes to firearm laws, the country is dependent on its weakest link. This is the reality of the Australian federation – laws in one state are easily circumvented if they can be bypassed with a short drive across a state line.

Countering Common Arguments

There is the predictable response that "firearms are not the killers, individuals are". This is true in the same sense that aircraft do not fly passengers, aviators do. Certainly, aircraft require operators, but it would be quite challenging for a pilot to transport 500 people overseas without the plane. The horrific violence seen at Bondi would be all but impossible without firearms, and would have been far less damaging if the accused individuals had been denied access to the weapons they used.

Balancing Necessity and Safety

There are valid reasons for some Australians to own firearms. Managing livestock or culling pests in rural areas is incredibly hard without them. A total ban of guns from the country is not feasible, as in certain contexts they are essential tools.

The achievable goal – what we must do – is to ensure that firearm legislation are modernized to better match the world we live in today. Australia's laws have historically been the envy of the world, but time and distance has taken a toll and the nation is less secure as it previously was. It is vital to learn from the tragedy of Bondi to heart, and make certain that future generations are equally safe as past generations have been.

A commentator observed after the Bondi events, "things like this just don't happen here". This is true, but solely due to the fact that the country has collectively worked to maintain its security. As nightmarish as the incident was, there is an aspiration that it can serve as the final tragedy the nation ever sees.