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In the aftermath of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is facing several pressing conversations. There is a long-overdue national focus on antisemitism, an persistent worry about public safety, and questions about how such an event could happen. But, as viewed 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 Response

Public health experts have been sounding alarms about guns for a minimum of a decade. In the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians united and implemented a series of reforms to reduce gun violence across the country. And it worked. Before 1996, the nation experienced roughly one large-scale firearm incident per year. In the decades since, there have been vanishingly few major events, with none reaching the fatalities of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Tragedy and the Function of Existing Laws

Even during the Bondi tragedy, the nation's gun laws were not entirely useless. It has been suggested 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, necessitating a manual operation to chamber the subsequent shot. While these guns are capable of being discharged rapidly with lethal results, they remain far slower and more cumbersome than the high-capacity, semi-automatic rifles commonplace in international attacks. The casualty count at Bondi could have been much greater if different firearms had been accessible.

Preventing another Bondi requires unity across all states. And unfortunately, there are already cracks in the united front.

Legislation Under Strain

However, the horrific consequences of the attack reveals that existing gun laws are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have worn away their effectiveness. Alarmingly, there are now a greater number of guns in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur shooting, with some individuals in urban areas reportedly holding collections numbering in the hundreds.

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

The Road Ahead: Announced Reforms

Since the Bondi attack, there have been numerous announcements regarding strengthened gun laws. The state of NSW specifically will soon introduce a package of measures to mitigate the public danger posed by firearms. The federal government has announced a new firearm surrender scheme, and there is potential for a national firearms registry, despite the inherent challenges of aligning state and federal jurisdictions.

All of this are feasible if the nation works together. As noted, when it comes to firearm laws, the country is only as strong as its weakest link. This is the very nature of the Australian federation – laws in one state are easily circumvented if they can be bypassed with a journey across a border.

Countering Common Objections

There is the predictable argument that "guns don't kill people, people kill people". This is accurate in the same sense that aircraft do not fly passengers, aviators do. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be quite challenging for a pilot to transport 500 people internationally without the plane. The mass slaughter seen at Bondi would be extremely difficult without guns, and would have been far less damaging if the alleged terrorists had been denied access to the firearms they used.

Balancing Necessity and Security

It is acknowledged there are valid reasons for some Australians to own firearms. Managing livestock or controlling vermin in rural areas is incredibly hard without them. A total ban of firearms from the country is impractical, as in certain contexts they are essential tools.

The achievable goal – the imperative action – is to ensure that firearm legislation are updated to accurately reflect the society we live in today. Australia's laws have long been the admiration of the world, but the passage of years has taken a toll and the nation is no longer as safe as it once was. It is vital to take the lessons of Bondi seriously, and ensure that coming Australians are as protected as past generations have been.

A friend remarked after the Bondi events, "such tragedies just don't happen here". They don't, but solely due to the fact that the country has collectively worked to maintain its security. However horrific as the incident was, there is an aspiration that it can become the last one the nation experiences.