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In the aftermath of the awful attack at Bondi, Australia is confronting multiple pressing conversations. There is a much-needed national spotlight on antisemitism, an persistent concern about public safety, and inquiries about the way such an event could happen. However, from the perspective of a health professional and Jewish Australian, the paramount dialogue we are finally having centers on firearms.

A Decade of Cautions and a Successful Response

Health experts have been issuing warnings about guns for at least a decade. In the wake of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians united and implemented a series of reforms to reduce gun violence nationwide. And it worked. Before 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one large-scale firearm incident per year. In the decades since, there have been vanishingly few major events, with none reaching the death toll of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Attack and the Function of Existing Regulations

Even during the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. It has been suggested the alleged attackers might have been armed with bolt-action rifles and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These weapons are limited to firing a single bullet at a time, necessitating a manual operation to ready the subsequent shot. While these guns are capable of being discharged rapidly with lethal results, they remain significantly less rapid and less efficient than the large-magazine, semi-automatic rifles commonplace in overseas mass shootings. The number of deaths at Bondi would've been far higher if more advanced weapons had been accessible.

Stopping another Bondi demands unity across all states. Regrettably, there are already cracks in the facade.

Legislation Under Strain

However, the terrible toll of the attack demonstrates that existing firearm regulations are inadequate. Designed in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, decades have worn away their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur shooting, with some citizens in urban areas owning arsenals numbering in the hundreds.

We have been overconfident and it has cost us terribly.

The Road Forward: Announced Changes

Since the Bondi attack, there have been numerous announcements regarding new firearm legislation. The state of NSW in particular will shortly enact a package of reforms to reduce the public danger from firearms. The national government has announced a new gun buyback, and there is potential for a national firearms registry, despite the complexities of aligning state and federal governments.

All of this are feasible provided that the nation acts in unison. As stated, regarding firearm laws, the country is only as strong as its weakest link. This is the reality of the Australian system – regulations in one state are much less meaningful if they can be avoided with a short drive across a border.

Countering Common Arguments

There is the predictable response that "guns don't kill people, people kill people". This is accurate in the same sense that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Certainly, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be virtually impossible for a captain to move 500 people internationally without the plane. The horrific violence witnessed at Bondi would be extremely difficult without firearms, and would have been significantly less lethal if the alleged terrorists had not had access to the firearms they used.

Balancing Need and Security

It is acknowledged there are legitimate needs for some Australians to own firearms. Managing livestock or culling pests in many places is extremely difficult without them. A total ban of firearms from the country is not feasible, as in certain contexts they are essential tools.

What we can do – what we must do – is to guarantee that gun laws are updated to accurately reflect the world we live in today. Australia's legislation have historically been the envy of the world, but the passage of years has done its work and the nation is no longer as safe as it previously was. It is critical to take the lessons of Bondi seriously, and ensure that future generations are equally safe as past generations have been.

As one commentator remarked after the Bondi attack, "such tragedies just don't happen here". This is true, but solely due to the fact that the country has made concerted efforts to maintain its security. However horrific as the attack was, there is hope that it can serve as the last one the nation ever sees.