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Following the tragedy of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is facing multiple critical conversations. We are seeing a much-needed national spotlight on antisemitism, an ongoing worry about public safety, and inquiries about the way such an tragedy could happen. However, from the perspective of a health professional and Australian Jew, the most important dialogue we are finally having centers on firearms.

A Decade of Warnings and a Proven Response

Health specialists have been issuing warnings about guns for a minimum of a decade. Following the events of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians united and implemented a series of reforms to curb gun violence nationwide. And it worked. Prior to 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 shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Attack and the Function of Existing Regulations

Amidst the Bondi events, the nation's gun laws were not entirely useless. Reports indicate the alleged attackers might have been armed with manually-operated long guns and a straight-pull shotgun. These firearms are limited to firing a one round at a time, necessitating a physical action to ready the next round. While these guns can be fired quite quickly with devastating effect, they remain far slower and less efficient than the large-magazine, self-loading rifles frequently used in overseas attacks. The number of deaths at Bondi would've been far higher if different firearms had been accessible.

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

A System Under Strain

Yet, the terrible consequences of the incident reveals that current gun laws are inadequate. Designed in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, decades have eroded their effectiveness. Concerningly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some citizens in cities reportedly holding collections numbering in the hundreds.

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

The Path Ahead: Proposed Changes

In the time after the Bondi tragedy, there have been numerous announcements regarding new gun laws. The state of NSW in particular will soon introduce a package of measures to mitigate the collective risk from firearms. The national government has announced a fresh firearm surrender scheme, 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, when it comes to firearm laws, the country is dependent on its weakest link. This is the very nature of the Australian system – regulations in one state are much less meaningful if they can be bypassed with a journey across a border.

Countering Frequent Objections

We hear the predictable argument that "firearms are not the killers, individuals are". This is true in the identical way that aircraft do not fly passengers, aviators do. Certainly, aircraft require operators, but it would be quite challenging for a pilot to move 500 people overseas without the plane. The mass slaughter witnessed at Bondi would be all but impossible without firearms, and would have been significantly less lethal if the alleged terrorists had been denied access to the weapons they possessed.

Balancing Necessity and Security

There are legitimate reasons for some Australians to possess guns. Farm work or controlling vermin in rural areas is extremely difficult without them. A total ban of firearms from the country is not feasible, as in certain contexts they are essential tools.

The achievable goal – what we must do – is to ensure that gun laws are updated to better match the world we live in today. Australia's legislation have historically been the envy 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 learn from the tragedy of Bondi to heart, and ensure that future generations are as protected as previous generations have been.

A friend observed after the Bondi attack, "such tragedies just don't happen here". This is true, but only because the country has collectively worked to keep itself safe. As nightmarish as the incident was, there is an aspiration that it can serve as the final tragedy the nation ever sees.