Melbourne: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a nationwide handgun buyback programme in the wake of the deadly mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, one of the worst gun violence incidents in the country since 1996.
Addressing a press conference in Canberra, Albanese said the federal government would establish a national scheme to purchase and destroy surplus, newly banned, and illegal firearms across Australia.
“The federal government will introduce a national buyback to remove dangerous weapons from circulation and ensure they are permanently destroyed,” the Prime Minister said.
The proposed initiative is expected to follow the framework of the historic gun buyback introduced after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, which led to sweeping reforms in Australia’s gun laws and significantly reduced firearm-related violence.
The Bondi Beach attack, which occurred on Sunday night during a public Hanukkah celebration, claimed the lives of 15 people. The two attackers were also killed, taking the total death toll to 17. Authorities have described it as the deadliest mass shooting in Australia since Port Arthur.
Albanese noted that Australia currently has more than four million firearms in circulation—higher than the number recorded at the time of the 1996 tragedy. He said the new buyback aims to reverse this trend and prevent future acts of violence.
Under the plan, the Australian Federal Police will be responsible for destroying surrendered firearms, while state and territory governments will oversee collection, processing, and compensation payments. The Prime Minister said he expects hundreds of thousands of weapons to be collected and destroyed under the scheme.
Meanwhile, investigations into the Bondi Beach shooting are ongoing. Authorities identified the assailants as Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed Akram, 24. According to officials, Sajid Akram was originally from Hyderabad, India, and had moved to Australia in 1998 in search of employment.
Telangana Director General of Police B. Shivdhar Reddy stated that Sajid Akram had no criminal or adverse record with Indian law enforcement before leaving the country. He also clarified that there was no evidence linking the radicalisation of Sajid Akram and his son to local influences in Telangana or elsewhere in India.
“The Telangana Police urge the public and media to avoid speculation or attribution until verified evidence is available,” the DGP said, adding that the state police remain committed to cooperating with national and international agencies as required.
Australian authorities are continuing to investigate reports that the attackers were influenced by extremist ideology, including possible links to ISIS. Officials have emphasised that the inquiry is still at a preliminary stage.
The Bondi Beach tragedy has reignited national debate on gun control, with the Prime Minister stressing that public safety must remain paramount. “Australia has acted decisively before, and we will do so again,” Albanese said.
