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In the aftermath of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is facing multiple critical conversations. We are seeing a much-needed national focus on antisemitism, an ongoing worry about national security, and inquiries about the way such an tragedy could occur. But, as viewed of a health professional and Jewish Australian, the most important dialogue we are now having centers on firearms.

A Decade of Warnings and a Successful Response

Public health experts have been sounding alarms about guns for at least a ten-year period. Following the events of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians came together and enacted a series of reforms to curb gun violence nationwide. And it worked. Prior to 1996, the nation experienced roughly one large-scale firearm incident per year. Over the following years, there have been vanishingly few major events, with none approaching the death toll of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Attack and the Function of Existing Regulations

Even during the Bondi tragedy, the nation's gun laws were partially effective. Reports indicate the individuals involved might have been armed with manually-operated long guns and a straight-pull shotgun. These weapons are limited to firing a single bullet at a time, necessitating a physical action to ready the next round. Although these guns can be fired quite quickly with lethal results, they remain significantly less rapid and less efficient than the high-capacity, self-loading rifles frequently used in overseas mass shootings. The casualty count at Bondi would've been far higher if more advanced weapons had been accessible.

Stopping a future Bondi demands national cohesion. And unfortunately, we have already seen fissures in the facade.

Legislation Showing Weakness

Yet, the terrible consequences of the incident demonstrates that existing firearm regulations are inadequate. Designed in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, decades have eroded their efficacy. Concerningly, there are now more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some citizens in cities reportedly holding arsenals of hundreds of weapons.

We have been complacent and it has exacted a terrible price.

The Road Forward: Proposed Reforms

Since the Bondi attack, there have been multiple announcements regarding new gun laws. The state of NSW in particular will shortly introduce a package of reforms to reduce the collective risk from firearms. The national government has proposed a new gun buyback, and there is potential for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the complexities of aligning state and federal jurisdictions.

All of this are feasible provided that the nation works together. As noted, regarding firearm laws, the country is dependent on its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the very nature of the Australian system – regulations in one state are much less meaningful if they can be avoided with a journey across a state line.

Countering Common Objections

We hear the predictable argument that "firearms are not the killers, individuals are". This is true in the identical way that planes don't transport people, pilots do. Yes, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be virtually impossible for a captain to transport 500 people overseas without the plane. The horrific violence witnessed at Bondi would be extremely difficult without firearms, and would have been far less damaging if the accused individuals had been denied access to the firearms they used.

Weighing Necessity and Safety

There are valid needs for some Australians to own guns. Farm work or culling pests in rural areas is extremely difficult without them. A complete removal of guns from the country is not feasible, as in certain contexts they are essential tools.

The achievable goal – the imperative action – is to ensure that gun laws are updated to better match the world we live in today. Australia's legislation have long been the envy of the world, but time and distance has taken a toll and the nation is no longer as safe as it previously was. It is critical to learn from the tragedy of Bondi seriously, and ensure that coming Australians are equally safe as past generations have been.

A commentator remarked after the Bondi attack, "things like this just don't happen here". This is true, but only because the country has collectively worked to keep itself safe. As nightmarish as the attack was, there is hope that it can become the final tragedy the nation ever sees.