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Following the tragedy of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is facing multiple pressing conversations. There is a long-overdue national focus on anti-Jewish sentiment, an ongoing concern about national security, and inquiries about how such an tragedy could happen. But, from the perspective of a public health expert and Australian Jew, the paramount dialogue we are now having centers on firearms.

A Decade of Cautions and a Successful Solution

Health specialists have been sounding alarms about guns for at least a ten-year period. Following the events of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians united and implemented a suite of reforms to reduce gun violence across the country. The strategy succeeded. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed roughly one large-scale firearm incident per year. Over the following years, there have been vanishingly few significant tragedies, with none approaching the fatalities of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Attack and the Role of Existing Laws

Amidst the Bondi tragedy, the nation's gun laws were not entirely useless. Reports indicate the individuals involved might have been armed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These firearms are limited to firing a single bullet at a time, necessitating a physical action to chamber the subsequent shot. While these guns are capable of being discharged rapidly with devastating effect, they remain significantly less rapid and less efficient than the large-magazine, semi-automatic rifles frequently used in overseas attacks. The casualty count at Bondi would've been far higher if different weapons had been available.

Stopping a future Bondi requires unity across all states. Regrettably, we have already seen cracks in the facade.

A System Under Strain

However, the terrible toll of the incident demonstrates that current firearm regulations are failing. Designed in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have eroded their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than before the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in urban areas reportedly holding collections of hundreds of weapons.

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

The Path Forward: Announced Changes

In the time after the Bondi attack, there have been numerous announcements regarding new gun laws. The state of NSW specifically will shortly introduce a suite of reforms to reduce the collective risk from firearms. The national government has announced a new gun buyback, and there is potential for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the inherent challenges of aligning state and federal jurisdictions.

These measures are only possible if the nation acts in unison. As noted, regarding firearm laws, the country is dependent on its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the reality of the Australian federation – regulations in one state are easily circumvented if they can be bypassed with a journey across a border.

Countering Frequent Objections

There is the inevitable argument that "guns don't kill people, individuals are". This is accurate in the same sense that planes don't transport people, pilots do. Yes, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be quite challenging for a pilot to transport 500 people overseas without the plane. 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 firearms they possessed.

Weighing Necessity and Safety

It is acknowledged there are valid reasons for some Australians to own firearms. Farm work or controlling vermin in many places is incredibly hard without them. A total ban of guns from the country is not feasible, as in some cases they are essential tools.

What we can do – 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 envy of the world, but time and distance 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 to heart, and ensure that future generations are equally safe as past generations have been.

As one commentator remarked after the Bondi events, "things like this just don't happen here". This is true, but only because 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.