Australia was widely regarded as a international standard-bearer in firearm regulation – Bondi has laid bare a more complicated reality.

On a Sunday afternoon in 1996, a single attacker using rapid-fire weapons killed 35 people in the historic site of Port Arthur.

That massacre nearly three decades ago, which sparked some of the most stringent gun laws in the world, can seem like a distant memory for many Australians.

However, the shooting at Bondi this past Sunday, which resulted in 15 fatalities, has revived the ghosts of the Tasmanian tragedy.

Firearm Possession at a Record High

A recent report revealed that there are now in excess of four million weapons owned by civilians across the country – a figure that is nearly twice the amount from about 20 years ago.

This means approximately a weapon for each small group of people.

While Queensland has the highest number of legal firearms, followed by NSW and the state of Victoria, it is Tasmania and the Northern Territory that have the greatest density of weapons.

The data also challenges the common view that guns are mainly owned by those in the countryside.

Weapons are widespread in metropolitan and suburban areas, with a significant portion located in population centres.

Critically, there are now more guns in fewer hands, with the average licence holder possessing over four firearms.

What Are Australia's Present Firearm Regulations?

Firearm regulations in Australia are varied across the country, with a disparate implementation of rules across states and territories.

Typically, to secure a gun licence, an individual must be over 18, deemed a "fit and proper person", pass a safety program, and provide a "valid purpose" for ownership.

The allowable purposes include sport shooting or animal management, marksmanship, certain professional duties, and collecting.

However, significant gaps remain. For instance, individuals under 18 in some jurisdictions can have access to a firearm from as young as pre-teen age.

Following the Port Arthur massacre, a comprehensive reform of national gun laws was enacted, leading to a voluntary hand-in of over 650,000 firearms.

Automatic and semi-automatic rifles were outlawed, and vetting procedures alongside delays for sales were introduced.

A key tenet of these reforms was the removal of "personal protection" as a valid reason for gun ownership.

Fresh Calls for Regulatory Tightening

In the wake the Bondi shooting, political leaders were clear about the need to bolster gun laws.

A national gun buyback scheme was proposed, marking the first such effort since 1996.

Other planned reforms now under consideration include:

• Limiting the number of guns an individual can possess.
• Reforming "open-ended" licensing arrangements.
• Making permanent residency a prerequisite for firearm ownership.
• Improving intelligence sharing during vetting processes.

There are also calls for ongoing evaluations of existing licence holders, acknowledging that "situations evolve" over time.

An Ongoing Controversy

These reform efforts have drawn criticism from some quarters.

Pro-gun advocates maintain that restricting ownership would not have averted an attack driven by extremist ideology.

They suggest that focus would be better spent improving intelligence rather than tightening regulations for the great bulk of licensed individuals.

Furthermore, a critical reform from 1996 – a centralised weapon tracking system – remains unfinished, though it has now been listed as a priority.

Tragedy as a Wake-Up Call

For reformers, the Bondi attack is a tragic indication that policies must be updated with changing times.

They argue that modernisation is needed to "address deficiencies" and safeguard communities.

While mass shootings remain relatively rare in Australia compared to some nations, the threat persists, and the challenge of weapons being misused – through theft – continues to pose a danger.

As one advocate noted, "It is unfortunate that it takes such a loss of life to get people to wake up and pay heed."