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In the aftermath of the awful incident at Bondi, Australia is facing several critical reckonings. We are seeing a much-needed national focus on antisemitism, an ongoing concern about public safety, and questions about how such an tragedy could happen. However, as viewed of a health professional and Jewish Australian, the paramount discussion we are now having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Cautions and a Proven Solution

Health experts have been issuing warnings about firearms for a minimum of a ten-year period. In the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians united and implemented a suite of measures to reduce gun violence across the country. And it worked. Before 1996, the nation experienced approximately one mass shooting per year. In the decades since, there have been extremely rare significant tragedies, with none reaching the death toll of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Attack and the Function of Existing Regulations

Amidst the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. It has been suggested the individuals involved possessed with bolt-action rifles and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These weapons can only fire a one round at a time, requiring a manual operation to ready the subsequent shot. While these guns can be fired quite quickly with devastating effect, they remain significantly less rapid and less efficient than the high-capacity, semi-automatic rifles frequently used in overseas attacks. The casualty count at Bondi would've been far higher if different firearms had been accessible.

Stopping another Bondi demands national cohesion. Regrettably, there are already fissures in the facade.

Legislation Under Strain

Yet, the terrible consequences of the attack demonstrates that current gun laws are inadequate. Designed in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, decades have eroded their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are now a greater number of guns in Australia than before the Port Arthur shooting, with some individuals in cities reportedly holding collections numbering in the hundreds.

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

The Path Forward: Proposed Changes

In the time after the Bondi tragedy, there have been numerous declarations regarding new firearm legislation. New South Wales specifically will soon introduce a package of measures to reduce the public danger posed by firearms. The national government has proposed a new firearm surrender scheme, and there is hope for a national firearms registry, notwithstanding the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal jurisdictions.

All of this are feasible provided that the nation works together. As stated, when it comes to gun control, the country is only as strong as its weakest link. This is the reality of the Australian federation – regulations in one state are easily circumvented if they can be bypassed with a short drive across a state line.

Countering Common Objections

There is 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 virtually impossible for a captain to transport 500 people internationally without the plane. The mass slaughter witnessed 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 weapons they used.

Balancing Need and Safety

There are valid reasons for some Australians to possess firearms. Managing livestock 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 – what we must do – is to guarantee that gun laws are modernized to better match the society we live in today. Australia's laws have long been the admiration of the world, but time and distance has taken a toll and the nation is less secure as it previously was. It is vital to learn from the tragedy of Bondi to heart, and ensure that coming Australians are as protected as previous generations have been.

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