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In the aftermath of the awful attack at Bondi, Australia is facing multiple critical conversations. We are seeing a much-needed national spotlight on antisemitism, an ongoing concern about national security, and questions about the way such an event could happen. However, from the perspective of a public health expert and Jewish Australian, the most important discussion we are finally having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Warnings and a Successful Solution

Health experts have been sounding alarms about guns for at least a ten-year period. In the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians came together and implemented a suite of reforms to curb gun violence nationwide. The strategy succeeded. Before 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one large-scale firearm incident per year. In the decades since, there have been extremely rare significant tragedies, with none approaching the fatalities of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Attack and the Function of Current Laws

Amidst the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were not entirely useless. Reports indicate the individuals involved possessed with bolt-action rifles and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These weapons can only fire a one round at a time, requiring a physical action to ready the subsequent shot. While these guns are capable of being discharged quite quickly with devastating effect, they remain far slower and less efficient than the high-capacity, self-loading rifles commonplace in international mass shootings. The number of deaths at Bondi would've been far higher if more advanced firearms had been accessible.

Stopping another Bondi requires unity across all states. And unfortunately, there are already cracks in the facade.

Legislation Showing Weakness

However, the horrific toll of the incident demonstrates that existing firearm regulations are failing. Designed in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, years have worn away their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur shooting, with some individuals in urban areas reportedly holding collections numbering in the hundreds.

We have been complacent and it has cost us terribly.

The Path Ahead: Announced Reforms

Since the Bondi tragedy, there have been multiple declarations regarding strengthened gun laws. The state of NSW specifically will soon introduce a package of reforms to reduce the public danger from firearms. The national government has announced a new gun buyback, and there is potential for a national firearms registry, notwithstanding the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal jurisdictions.

These measures are only possible provided that the nation works together. As noted, when it comes to firearm laws, the country is only as strong as its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the very nature of the Australian federation – laws in one state are much less meaningful if they can be avoided with a journey across a border.

Countering Common Objections

There is the inevitable argument that "firearms are not the killers, people kill people". This is true in the same sense that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be virtually impossible for a pilot to move 500 people internationally without the plane. The mass slaughter seen at Bondi would be all but impossible without guns, and would have been far less damaging if the alleged terrorists had not had access to the firearms they used.

Weighing Necessity and Security

There are legitimate needs for some Australians to own guns. Managing livestock or controlling vermin in many places is incredibly hard without them. A total ban of firearms from the country is impractical, as in some cases they are indispensable.

The achievable goal – the imperative action – is to guarantee that gun laws are updated to accurately reflect the society we live in today. Australia's laws have long been the envy of the world, but time and distance has done its work and the nation is no longer as safe as it once was. It is critical to learn from the tragedy of Bondi to heart, and ensure that coming Australians are as protected as previous 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 maintain its security. However horrific as the incident was, there is an aspiration that it can serve as the final tragedy the nation experiences.