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Following the tragedy of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is confronting multiple critical conversations. There is a long-overdue national focus on anti-Jewish sentiment, an ongoing worry about national security, and inquiries about the way such an tragedy could occur. However, from the perspective of a public health expert and Australian Jew, the most important discussion we are now having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Cautions and a Proven Solution

Health specialists have been sounding alarms about firearms for a minimum of a ten-year period. In the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians came together and implemented a series of measures to curb gun violence nationwide. And it worked. Before 1996, the nation experienced roughly one large-scale firearm incident per year. In the decades since, there have been vanishingly few significant tragedies, with none reaching the death toll of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Attack and the Role of Existing Laws

Amidst the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. It has been suggested the individuals involved might have been armed with bolt-action rifles and a straight-pull shotgun. These firearms are limited to firing a single bullet at a time, requiring a manual operation to chamber the subsequent shot. Although these guns are capable of being discharged quite quickly with devastating effect, they remain far slower and more cumbersome than the large-magazine, semi-automatic rifles commonplace in international attacks. The casualty count at Bondi could have been much greater if more advanced weapons had been accessible.

Preventing a future Bondi demands unity across all states. Regrettably, there are already cracks in the facade.

A System Under Strain

However, the horrific toll of the attack demonstrates that existing gun laws are failing. Designed in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, years have eroded their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are now a greater number of guns in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in urban areas reportedly holding arsenals of hundreds of weapons.

We have been complacent and it has exacted a terrible price.

The Path Ahead: Proposed Changes

In the time after the Bondi attack, there have been multiple announcements regarding strengthened gun laws. The state of NSW in particular will shortly introduce a package of measures to reduce the public danger posed by firearms. The national government has proposed a fresh firearm surrender scheme, and there is hope for a national firearms registry, despite the inherent challenges of aligning state and federal jurisdictions.

These measures are only possible if 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 federation – laws in one state are much less meaningful if they can be bypassed with a short drive across a border.

Countering Frequent Objections

There is the predictable argument that "guns don't kill people, individuals are". This is true in the identical way that planes don't transport people, pilots do. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be virtually impossible for a captain to transport 500 people overseas without the plane. The horrific violence seen at Bondi would be all but impossible without guns, and would have been significantly less lethal if the accused individuals had not had access to the firearms they used.

Weighing Need and Security

There are legitimate needs for some Australians to own firearms. Farm work or culling pests in rural areas is extremely difficult without them. A complete removal of guns from the country is impractical, as in certain contexts they are indispensable.

The achievable goal – what we must do – is to guarantee that firearm legislation are updated to accurately reflect the society we live in today. Australia's laws have historically been the envy of the world, but time and distance has done its work and the nation is less secure as it previously was. It is critical to learn from the tragedy of Bondi to heart, and ensure that coming Australians are equally safe as past generations have been.

As one friend observed after the Bondi attack, "things like this just don't happen here". They don't, but only because the country has collectively worked to maintain its security. However horrific as the attack was, there is hope that it can become the last one the nation ever sees.