Australia to Start Major Gun Buyback in November
SYDNEY — August 16, 2026
Australia's New South Wales state will begin a major gun buyback program on November 2, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday, as the country strengthens firearm controls following the deadly Bondi Beach attack. The gun buyback is part of wider national and state measures aimed at reducing the number of firearms in circulation.
The program will allow eligible owners to surrender rifles and handguns in return for compensation of up to A$1,000 ($700) per firearm, according to Albanese and New South Wales Premier Chris Minns. The scheme is expected to be Australia's largest firearm buyback since the country introduced a major national program following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.
The new measures were introduced after a shooting at a Hanukkah celebration near Sydney's Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025, in which 15 people were killed. The attack led to renewed debate over Australia's gun laws and prompted governments to consider additional restrictions.
Albanese's centre-left government passed legislation in January covering the national buyback program, stricter requirements for gun licences and measures targeting hate-related activity. New South Wales has since introduced additional restrictions of its own.
The scale of Australia's firearms stockpile has also become a focus of the debate. Government figures show the country had about 4.1 million firearms last year, including more than 1.1 million in New South Wales, Australia's most populous state.
Albanese said Australians remained proud of the country's gun laws but noted that the number of firearms in the country has grown since the response to the Port Arthur massacre. That earlier buyback campaign resulted in large numbers of firearms being surrendered after a gunman killed 35 people in Tasmania in 1996.
Under the latest New South Wales reforms, individuals are now limited to owning four firearms. The changes were introduced following the Bondi Beach attack.
Police have said the Bondi shooting was carried out by a father and son who they believe were inspired by Islamic State. The surviving suspect, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, faces multiple charges, including 15 counts of murder, but has not yet entered pleas.
The alleged attackers used firearms that had been legally obtained, according to authorities. The case has increased attention on how firearms can be acquired and held legally and whether existing controls are sufficient to prevent weapons from being used in mass attacks.
The November buyback is therefore being presented by the government as part of a broader effort to strengthen Australia's firearm regulations. Authorities are also expected to focus on ensuring that people affected by the new ownership limits have a clear process for surrendering firearms and receiving compensation.
The program represents one of Australia's most significant efforts to reduce civilian firearm ownership in three decades, reviving an approach that followed the Port Arthur massacre while responding to a different set of security and public-safety concerns.
