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In the aftermath of the horrific incident at Bondi, Australia is confronting multiple pressing conversations. We are seeing a much-needed national focus on antisemitism, an persistent worry about public safety, and inquiries about how such an event could happen. However, as viewed of a public health expert and Jewish Australian, the paramount dialogue we are now having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Cautions and a Successful Solution

Health experts have been sounding alarms about firearms for a minimum of 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. Before 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one large-scale firearm incident per year. Over the following years, there have been extremely rare significant tragedies, with none approaching the death toll of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Attack and the Function of Existing Laws

Even during the Bondi events, the nation's gun laws were partially effective. It has been suggested 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 manual operation to ready the next round. Although these guns are capable of being discharged quite quickly with lethal results, they remain far slower and less efficient than the large-magazine, semi-automatic rifles commonplace in international mass shootings. The number of deaths at Bondi could have been much greater if more advanced firearms had been accessible.

Stopping another Bondi demands national cohesion. Regrettably, we have already seen fissures in the facade.

Legislation Showing Weakness

Yet, the terrible toll of the incident demonstrates that current gun laws are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, decades have worn away their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are now more firearms in Australia than before the Port Arthur shooting, with some citizens in cities reportedly holding arsenals of hundreds of weapons.

We have been overconfident 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. New South Wales specifically will soon introduce a suite of reforms to mitigate the collective risk from firearms. The national government has announced a fresh firearm surrender scheme, and there is potential for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal jurisdictions.

All of this are only possible if the nation acts in unison. As stated, regarding firearm laws, the country is dependent on its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the very nature of the Australian federation – laws in one state are easily circumvented if they can be avoided with a journey across a border.

Countering Frequent Objections

There is the predictable response that "guns don't kill people, individuals are". This is accurate in the same sense that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be virtually impossible for a captain to move 500 people overseas without the plane. The mass slaughter 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 weapons they possessed.

Balancing Necessity and Safety

There are legitimate reasons for some Australians to possess firearms. Managing livestock or controlling vermin in rural areas is incredibly hard without them. A total ban of guns from the country is impractical, as in some cases they are essential tools.

The achievable goal – the imperative action – is to guarantee that firearm legislation are modernized to accurately reflect the world we live in today. Australia's laws have long been the envy of the world, but the passage of years has taken a toll and the nation is less secure as it once was. It is vital to learn from the tragedy of Bondi seriously, and ensure that coming Australians are equally safe as past generations have been.

As one friend remarked 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 keep itself safe. However horrific as the incident was, there is an aspiration that it can serve as the last one the nation ever sees.