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Following the tragedy of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is facing multiple critical conversations. There is a long-overdue national focus on antisemitism, an persistent concern about public safety, and inquiries about the way such an event could happen. However, as viewed of a health professional and Jewish Australian, the most important dialogue we are now having centers on firearms.

A Decade of Cautions and a Successful Solution

Public health experts have been issuing warnings about guns for at least a decade. In the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians united and enacted 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. Over the following years, there have been extremely rare major events, with none reaching the death toll of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Tragedy and the Role of Existing Regulations

Even during the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. It has been suggested the alleged attackers possessed with manually-operated long guns and a straight-pull shotgun. These weapons can only fire a one round at a time, requiring a manual operation to chamber the next round. While these guns can be fired rapidly with lethal results, they remain far slower and more cumbersome than the large-magazine, self-loading rifles frequently used in overseas attacks. The casualty count at Bondi could have been much greater if different weapons had been accessible.

Preventing a future Bondi requires national cohesion. And unfortunately, there are already cracks in the facade.

A System Under Strain

However, the horrific consequences of the attack demonstrates that current gun laws are inadequate. Designed in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, decades have worn away their effectiveness. Alarmingly, there are currently a greater number of guns in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur shooting, with some citizens in cities reportedly holding arsenals of hundreds of weapons.

The nation has grown overconfident and it has exacted a terrible price.

The Road Forward: Proposed Changes

In the time after the Bondi attack, there have been multiple announcements regarding new gun laws. The state of NSW in particular will shortly enact a suite of reforms to mitigate the collective risk from firearms. The federal government has proposed a fresh gun buyback, and there is potential for a countrywide gun database, despite the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal governments.

All of this are feasible provided that the nation works together. As stated, when it comes to gun control, the country is dependent on its weakest link. This is the very nature of the Australian system – laws in one state are easily circumvented 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 true in the identical way that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be quite challenging for a pilot to transport 500 people overseas without the aircraft. The mass slaughter seen at Bondi would be all but impossible without firearms, and would have been far less damaging if the accused individuals had been denied access to the weapons they used.

Balancing Need and Safety

There are legitimate needs for some Australians to possess firearms. Managing livestock or controlling vermin in rural areas is incredibly hard without them. A total ban of firearms from the country is impractical, as in certain contexts they are indispensable.

What we can do – the imperative action – is to ensure that firearm legislation are updated to accurately reflect the world we live in today. Australia's legislation have historically been the admiration of the world, but the passage of years 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 future generations are as protected as past 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 made concerted efforts to maintain its security. However horrific as the attack was, there is hope that it can become the final tragedy the nation experiences.