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In the aftermath of the horrific incident at Bondi, Australia is facing multiple pressing conversations. There is a much-needed national spotlight on anti-Jewish sentiment, an persistent worry about national security, and questions about the way such an event could happen. However, as viewed of a public health expert and Jewish Australian, the paramount discussion we are finally having revolves around firearms.

A Decade of Warnings and a Successful Response

Public health experts have been issuing warnings about guns for at least a ten-year period. In the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians came together and enacted a series of measures to curb gun violence nationwide. And it worked. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed roughly one large-scale firearm incident per year. Over the following years, there have been extremely rare major events, with none approaching the fatalities of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Tragedy and the Role of Existing Regulations

Amidst the Bondi events, the nation's gun laws were partially effective. Reports indicate the alleged attackers possessed with bolt-action rifles and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These weapons are limited to firing a one round at a time, necessitating a manual operation to chamber the next round. While these guns can be fired rapidly with lethal results, they remain far slower and less efficient than the high-capacity, semi-automatic rifles frequently used in overseas mass shootings. The number of deaths at Bondi could have been much greater if different weapons had been accessible.

Stopping a future Bondi demands unity across all states. Regrettably, there are already cracks in the facade.

Legislation Under Strain

However, the horrific consequences of the incident reveals that existing gun laws are inadequate. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have eroded their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are now a greater number of guns in Australia than before the Port Arthur shooting, with some citizens in urban areas owning arsenals numbering in the hundreds.

The nation has grown complacent and it has exacted a terrible price.

The Road Ahead: Announced Changes

In the time after the Bondi tragedy, there have been numerous declarations regarding strengthened firearm legislation. New South Wales specifically will soon introduce a package of reforms to reduce the public danger from firearms. The federal government has proposed a new gun buyback, and there is hope for a national firearms registry, notwithstanding the complexities of aligning state and federal jurisdictions.

These measures are only possible provided that the nation works together. As stated, regarding gun control, the country is dependent on its weakest link. This is the reality of the Australian system – laws in one state are easily circumvented if they can be avoided with a short drive across a border.

Countering Frequent Objections

There is the inevitable response that "guns don't kill people, individuals are". This is true in the identical way that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Certainly, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be quite challenging for a pilot to move 500 people internationally without the aircraft. The mass slaughter witnessed at Bondi would be extremely difficult without guns, and would have been far less damaging if the accused individuals had not had access to the firearms they possessed.

Balancing Need and Safety

It is acknowledged there are legitimate reasons for some Australians to possess guns. Managing livestock or controlling vermin in many places is extremely difficult without them. A total ban of firearms from the country is not feasible, as in certain contexts 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 legislation have historically been the admiration 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 take the lessons of Bondi to heart, and ensure that coming Australians are as protected as previous generations have been.

As one friend remarked after the Bondi events, "such tragedies 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 attack was, there is an aspiration that it can become the last one the nation experiences.