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In the aftermath of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is confronting multiple critical conversations. We are seeing a much-needed national focus on anti-Jewish sentiment, an ongoing worry about national security, and inquiries about how such an tragedy could happen. However, from the perspective of a health professional and Jewish Australian, the most important dialogue we are now having centers on firearms.

Ten Years of Cautions and a Proven Response

Health experts have been issuing warnings about guns for at least a decade. Following the events of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians united and implemented a series of reforms to curb gun violence nationwide. And it worked. Before 1996, the nation experienced approximately one large-scale firearm incident per year. In the decades since, there have been extremely rare significant tragedies, with none reaching the death toll of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Tragedy and the Role of Current Laws

Amidst the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were not entirely useless. Reports indicate the individuals involved possessed with bolt-action rifles and a straight-pull shotgun. These weapons can only fire a one round at a time, requiring a physical action to chamber the next round. While these guns are capable of being discharged quite quickly with lethal results, they remain far slower and less efficient than the high-capacity, self-loading rifles commonplace in overseas attacks. The casualty count at Bondi could have been much greater if different firearms had been accessible.

Stopping another Bondi requires national cohesion. And unfortunately, we have already seen fissures in the united front.

Legislation Under Strain

Yet, the horrific toll of the incident reveals that existing gun laws are inadequate. Crafted in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, years have worn away their efficacy. Concerningly, there are currently a greater number of guns in Australia than before the Port Arthur shooting, with some citizens in cities reportedly holding arsenals of hundreds of weapons.

We have been complacent and it has cost us terribly.

The Road Forward: Announced Reforms

In the time after the Bondi tragedy, there have been numerous announcements regarding new gun laws. The state of NSW in particular will shortly introduce a suite of measures to reduce the collective risk posed by firearms. The federal government has announced a fresh firearm surrender scheme, and there is potential for a countrywide gun database, despite the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal jurisdictions.

All of this are only possible if the nation acts in unison. As stated, when it comes to firearm laws, the country is dependent on its weakest link. This is the reality of the Australian system – laws in one state are easily circumvented if they can be bypassed with a journey across a border.

Countering Common Arguments

There is the predictable argument that "guns don't kill people, individuals are". This is true in the identical way that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Yes, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be virtually impossible for a captain to move 500 people internationally without the aircraft. The horrific violence witnessed at Bondi would be all but impossible without guns, and would have been significantly less lethal if the accused individuals had been denied access to the weapons they possessed.

Weighing Need and Safety

It is acknowledged there are valid reasons for some Australians to own guns. Farm work or controlling vermin in rural areas is extremely difficult without them. A total ban of firearms from the country is impractical, as in some cases they are indispensable.

What we can do – the imperative action – is to guarantee that gun laws are updated to accurately reflect the world we live in today. Australia's legislation have long been the admiration of the world, but time and distance has done its work and the nation is no longer as safe as it previously was. It is critical to take the lessons of Bondi seriously, and ensure that coming Australians are equally safe as past generations have been.

As one commentator observed after the Bondi events, "such tragedies 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 incident was, there is hope that it can become the final tragedy the nation ever sees.