Australian PM Albanese Announces November Start For Major Gun Buyback Scheme After Bondi Beach Shooting

The New South Wales government will start a gun buyback scheme on November 2, 2026 as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New South Wales (NSW) Premier Chris Minns announced the policy on Sunday.

The state will offer up to A$1,000 ($700) in compensation for each returned rifle or handgun, a Reuters report stated.

Authorities launched the initiative as a direct response to a December 14, 2025 shooting spree at a Bondi Beach Hanukkah celebration in Sydney. The attack killed 15 people where the alleged gunmen used powerful firearms that were legally obtained, the report stated.

Targeted Weapons and Caps

Albanese's centre-left government enacted laws in January 2026 for the gun buyback, tighter licensing checks and a crackdown on hate.

New South Wales now limits individuals to a maximum of four firearms. The buyback targets any weapons exceeding this newly legislated ownership cap local media reported.

The state has also reclassified straight-pull rifles, straight-pull shotguns, pump-action firearms and button/lever-release firearms under the highly restricted Category C. The attackers used a Beretta BRX1 straight-pull rifle alongside shotguns during the Bondi Beach incident.

Surviving suspect Naveed Akram, 24, has yet to enter pleas to 15 counts of murder. Police believe a father and son carried out the attack after being inspired by the Islamic State.

Historic Scale of Buyback

Australia recorded a peak of 4.1 million firearms last year, with more than 1.1 million of those in New South Wales. The upcoming scheme will be the largest Australian gun buyback since the 1996 campaign following the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, where a gunman killed 35 people.

"Australians are quite rightly proud of our gun laws, but the fact is there are more guns in Australia today than there were at the time of dealing with the Port Arthur gun buyback." Albanese said in televised remarks reported by Reuters.