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In the aftermath of the awful incident at Bondi, Australia is facing multiple pressing reckonings. There is a long-overdue national focus on antisemitism, an ongoing worry about public safety, and questions about the way such an event could occur. But, from the perspective of a public health expert and Jewish Australian, the most important dialogue we are now having revolves around firearms.

A Decade of Cautions and a Proven Response

Health experts have been sounding alarms about firearms for a minimum of a ten-year period. Following the events of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians united and implemented a suite of measures to reduce gun violence across the country. And it worked. Prior to 1996, the nation experienced approximately one mass shooting per year. Over the following years, there have been vanishingly few significant tragedies, with none reaching the fatalities of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Tragedy and the Role of Existing Laws

Amidst the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. Reports indicate the individuals involved possessed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These weapons are limited to firing a one round at a time, necessitating a manual operation to ready the subsequent shot. While these guns can be fired rapidly with devastating effect, they remain significantly less rapid and less efficient than the high-capacity, self-loading rifles frequently used in international attacks. The number of deaths at Bondi would've been far higher if more advanced firearms had been available.

Stopping another Bondi demands unity across all states. Regrettably, we have already seen cracks in the facade.

A System Showing Weakness

Yet, the terrible consequences of the incident reveals that existing firearm regulations are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, years have eroded their effectiveness. Alarmingly, there are currently a greater number of guns in Australia than before the Port Arthur massacre, with some citizens in cities reportedly holding collections of hundreds of weapons.

We have been overconfident and it has cost us terribly.

The Road Ahead: Proposed Changes

In the time after the Bondi tragedy, there have been numerous declarations regarding strengthened firearm legislation. New South Wales specifically will soon introduce a package of reforms to reduce the collective risk posed by firearms. The federal government has proposed a fresh firearm surrender scheme, and there is hope for a countrywide gun database, despite the inherent challenges of aligning state and federal jurisdictions.

These measures are only possible provided that the nation acts in unison. As stated, when it comes to firearm laws, the country is dependent on its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the very nature of the Australian federation – regulations in one state are easily circumvented if they can be avoided with a journey across a border.

Countering Common Arguments

There is 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. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be quite challenging for a pilot to move 500 people internationally without the plane. The mass slaughter witnessed at Bondi would be all but impossible without firearms, and would have been far less damaging if the alleged terrorists had been denied access to the firearms they used.

Balancing Necessity and Security

It is acknowledged there are valid needs for some Australians to own firearms. Farm work or culling pests in rural areas is extremely difficult without them. A total ban of firearms from the country is impractical, as in certain contexts they are essential tools.

The achievable goal – the imperative action – is to guarantee that firearm legislation are modernized to accurately reflect the society we live in today. Australia's legislation have long been the envy of the world, but time and distance has taken a toll and the nation is no longer as safe as it once was. It is vital to take the lessons of Bondi seriously, and make certain that coming Australians are equally safe as past generations have been.

As one commentator 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 incident was, there is an aspiration that it can serve as the last one the nation ever sees.