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In the aftermath of the awful incident at Bondi, Australia is confronting several critical reckonings. There is a long-overdue national focus on antisemitism, an persistent worry about public safety, and questions about the way such an event could occur. However, from the perspective of a public health expert and Jewish Australian, the most important discussion we are finally having centers on firearms.

A Decade of Cautions and a Successful Solution

Public health specialists have been issuing warnings about firearms for at least a decade. Following the events of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians came together and implemented a series of reforms to reduce gun violence nationwide. And it worked. Prior to 1996, the nation experienced approximately one large-scale firearm incident per year. In the decades since, there have been vanishingly few major events, with none reaching the fatalities of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Attack and the Role of Current Regulations

Amidst the Bondi tragedy, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. It has been suggested the individuals involved might have been armed 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 physical action to ready the next round. While these guns are capable of being discharged quite quickly with devastating effect, they remain far slower and less efficient than the high-capacity, semi-automatic rifles frequently used in international attacks. The number of deaths at Bondi could have been much greater if different firearms had been accessible.

Preventing another Bondi demands national cohesion. Regrettably, we have already seen cracks in the facade.

Legislation Under Strain

However, the horrific consequences of the incident reveals that existing firearm regulations are inadequate. Designed in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, decades have worn away their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are now a greater number of guns in Australia than before the Port Arthur shooting, with some individuals in cities reportedly holding arsenals of hundreds of weapons.

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

The Path Forward: Proposed Changes

In the time after the Bondi tragedy, there have been numerous announcements regarding new firearm legislation. New South Wales in particular will shortly enact a package of measures to reduce the public danger from firearms. The federal government has proposed a fresh firearm surrender scheme, and there is hope for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal governments.

All of this are only possible if the nation works together. As noted, regarding gun control, the country is only as strong as its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the very nature of the Australian federation – regulations in one state are much less meaningful if they can be bypassed with a short drive across a state line.

Countering Common Objections

There is the predictable argument that "guns don't kill people, individuals are". This is accurate in the same sense that planes don't transport people, pilots do. Yes, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be virtually impossible for a captain to move 500 people overseas without the plane. The mass slaughter witnessed 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.

Balancing Need and Security

There are legitimate reasons for some Australians to possess firearms. Managing livestock or controlling vermin in rural areas is extremely difficult without them. A total ban of firearms from the country is not feasible, as in certain contexts they are indispensable.

What we can do – the imperative action – is to ensure that gun laws are modernized to better match the world we live in today. Australia's legislation have long been the admiration of the world, but time and distance has taken a toll and the nation is less secure as it previously was. It is vital to learn from the tragedy of Bondi to heart, and make certain that future generations are as protected as previous generations have been.

As one commentator observed after the Bondi attack, "such tragedies just don't happen here". This is true, but solely due to the fact that the country has collectively worked to keep itself safe. As nightmarish as the incident was, there is hope that it can become the last one the nation experiences.