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In the aftermath of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is facing several critical reckonings. We are seeing a much-needed national spotlight on anti-Jewish sentiment, an persistent worry about public safety, and questions about the way such an event could occur. But, from the perspective of a health professional and Jewish Australian, the most important dialogue we are finally having revolves around firearms.

A Decade of Warnings and a Successful Response

Health specialists have been sounding alarms about firearms for a minimum of a ten-year period. Following the events of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians united and enacted a suite of reforms to reduce gun violence across the country. The strategy succeeded. Prior to 1996, the nation experienced approximately one mass shooting per year. Over the following years, there have been extremely rare significant tragedies, with none reaching the death toll of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Tragedy and the Role of Existing Laws

Even during the Bondi tragedy, the nation's firearm regulations were not entirely useless. It has been suggested the alleged attackers possessed with bolt-action rifles and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These weapons are limited to firing a one round at a time, requiring a physical action to ready the next round. Although these guns are capable of being discharged quite quickly with devastating effect, they remain significantly less rapid and more cumbersome than the large-magazine, self-loading rifles commonplace in overseas attacks. The number of deaths at Bondi could have been much greater if different firearms had been available.

Preventing a future Bondi demands national cohesion. And unfortunately, we have already seen cracks in the facade.

Legislation Showing Weakness

However, the terrible consequences of the incident demonstrates that current firearm regulations are inadequate. Crafted in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, years have worn away their efficacy. Concerningly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than before the Port Arthur massacre, with some citizens in cities reportedly holding arsenals of hundreds of weapons.

The nation has grown overconfident and it has cost us terribly.

The Path Ahead: Announced Reforms

Since the Bondi tragedy, there have been numerous announcements regarding strengthened firearm legislation. The state of NSW in particular will shortly enact a suite of reforms to mitigate the collective risk from firearms. The national government has proposed a fresh gun buyback, and there is hope for a national firearms registry, notwithstanding the complexities of coordinating state and federal governments.

All of this are feasible provided that the nation acts in unison. As noted, when it comes to gun control, the country is only as strong as its weakest link. This is the very nature of the Australian federation – laws in one state are easily circumvented if they can be bypassed with a short drive across a border.

Addressing Common Objections

We hear the inevitable response that "firearms are not the killers, individuals are". This is true in the same sense that planes don't transport people, aviators do. Certainly, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be virtually impossible for a captain to move 500 people internationally 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 not had access to the firearms they used.

Weighing Need and Security

It is acknowledged there are legitimate needs for some Australians to possess guns. Managing livestock or culling pests in rural areas is extremely difficult without them. A total ban of guns from the country is not feasible, as in some cases they are essential tools.

What we can do – the imperative action – is to ensure that gun laws are modernized to accurately reflect the world we live in today. Australia's laws have long been the envy of the world, but the passage of years has taken a toll and the nation is less secure as it previously was. It is critical to take the lessons of Bondi to heart, and make certain that future generations are equally safe as past generations have been.

A friend remarked after the Bondi attack, "things like this just don't happen here". This is true, but only because the country has made concerted efforts to keep itself safe. As nightmarish as the attack was, there is hope that it can become the final tragedy the nation experiences.