People walk as the crime scene was reopened following the mass shooting at Bondi Beach on Sunday, in Sydney, Australia, Dec 19, 2025. (File photo: REUTERS/Hollie Adams)
15 Aug 2026 09:18PM
SYDNEY: Australia's most populous state will start a gun buyback scheme in November, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Saturday (Aug 15), launching a reform promised after last year's mass shooting at Bondi Beach.A father-and-son duo are accused of opening fire on a Jewish celebration in New South Wales state last December, killing 15 people in one of Australia's deadliest modern mass shootings.New South Wales authorities pledged a suite of gun control reforms in the wake of the attack, including a buyback scheme.Albanese said the state's gun buyback would start on Nov 2, offering cash for eligible handguns, shotguns and rifles.
"We must do everything we can to make sure the antisemitic terrorist attack in Bondi doesn't happen again," he said."That includes meaningful nationwide gun reform."New South Wales has already passed laws restricting individuals to owning no more than four guns, with some exemptions for farmers.The buyback scheme will be offered to gun owners who have more weapons than allowed under the new rules.They will be paid as much as US$700 (A$1,000) depending on the type of gun, with costs split between the federal and state governments.
