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Following the tragedy of the awful attack at Bondi, Australia is facing several pressing conversations. We are seeing a long-overdue national focus on antisemitism, an ongoing worry about national security, and questions about the way such an tragedy could happen. But, from the perspective of a public health expert and Jewish Australian, the most important discussion we are finally having revolves around firearms.

A Decade of Warnings and a Successful Solution

Public health specialists have been issuing warnings about firearms for a minimum of a ten-year period. Following the events of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians united and implemented a suite of reforms to curb gun violence nationwide. And it worked. Before 1996, the nation experienced roughly one mass shooting per year. In the decades since, there have been extremely rare significant tragedies, with none approaching the fatalities of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Attack and the Function of Existing Laws

Amidst the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. It has been suggested the alleged attackers possessed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These weapons can only fire a one round at a time, requiring a manual operation to ready the next round. Although these guns can be fired rapidly with devastating effect, they remain far slower and more cumbersome than the high-capacity, self-loading rifles frequently used in overseas attacks. The number of deaths at Bondi would've been far higher if different firearms had been available.

Preventing a future Bondi requires unity across all states. Regrettably, we have already seen fissures in the united front.

A System Showing Weakness

However, the horrific consequences of the attack reveals that current firearm regulations are failing. Designed in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have worn away their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are currently a greater number of guns in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur shooting, with some individuals in cities owning collections numbering in the hundreds.

We have been overconfident and it has cost us terribly.

The Road Forward: Proposed Reforms

Since the Bondi attack, there have been multiple declarations regarding new firearm legislation. The state of NSW specifically will shortly enact a package of measures to reduce the collective risk from firearms. The national government has proposed a new firearm surrender scheme, and there is hope for a national firearms registry, despite the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal jurisdictions.

All of this are only possible if the nation works together. As noted, regarding firearm laws, the country is dependent on its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the reality of the Australian federation – laws in one state are easily circumvented if they can be avoided with a journey across a state line.

Addressing Frequent Objections

We hear the inevitable response that "guns don't kill people, individuals are". This is true in the identical way that planes don't transport people, aviators do. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be virtually impossible for a captain to transport 500 people internationally without the aircraft. The horrific violence 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 weapons they possessed.

Weighing Necessity and Safety

There are valid needs for some Australians to own guns. Farm work or controlling vermin in many places is extremely difficult without them. A complete removal of guns from the country is impractical, as in some cases they are indispensable.

What we can do – what we must do – is to ensure that gun laws are updated to accurately reflect the world we live in today. Australia's laws have long been the admiration of the world, but time and distance has done its work and the nation is less secure as it previously was. It is critical to learn from the tragedy of Bondi seriously, and ensure that future generations are as protected as previous generations have been.

As one friend remarked after the Bondi attack, "such tragedies just don't happen here". This is true, but solely due to the fact that the country has made concerted efforts to maintain its security. However horrific as the attack was, there is hope that it can become the final tragedy the nation ever sees.