The Australian state of New South Wales will begin a gun buyback in November, offering cash for surrendered firearms in the wake of the Bondi Beach attack. The measure has drawn opposition from One Nation leader Pauline Hanson.
Key facts
- New South Wales, the state where the Bondi Beach attack took place, will offer gun owners cash to give up their firearms.
- Legislation for the plan passed parliament earlier this year.
- The buyback is set to commence in NSW from November.
- One Nation leader Pauline Hanson opposes the buyback.
- Australia introduced the measures to reduce gun ownership following the attack on Sydney's Bondi Beach last year.
Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales, is preparing to launch a gun buyback scheme that will offer firearm owners cash to surrender their weapons, according to the BBC. The move follows the attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, which took place in the state.
The buyback is scheduled to begin in November, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, according to Al Jazeera. The legislation underpinning the plan passed parliament earlier this year, the Guardian reported.
Al Jazeera reported that Australia introduced measures to reduce gun ownership following the deadly attack on Bondi Beach last year. The buyback forms part of that broader response.
The scheme is not without political opposition. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has come out against the major gun buyback agreed in the wake of the Bondi attack, the Guardian reported.
Hanson has also used the moment to press other policy demands, telling reporters she wants dramatic cuts to the number of international students allowed into the country. She argued some people use student visas as a route to residency, saying they arrive, change courses and then apply to stay in Australia.
The reactions have drawn in figures across Australian politics, with the Guardian tracking responses from the Labor government, the Coalition and One Nation as the plan moves toward its November start date.
Why it matters
Gun buybacks are a significant tool in shaping national firearm policy, and this scheme marks a direct government response to a high-profile attack. The political divisions it has exposed show how public safety measures can become flashpoints in wider debates over policy and immigration.
Frequently asked questions
When will the New South Wales gun buyback start?
The buyback is set to commence in New South Wales from November, according to the Prime Minister and reporting from Al Jazeera and the Guardian.
What prompted the gun buyback?
The measures were introduced to reduce gun ownership following a deadly attack on Sydney's Bondi Beach last year, according to Al Jazeera.
Who opposes the buyback?
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson opposes the major gun buyback agreed in the wake of the Bondi terror attack, according to the Guardian.