Australia was long seen as a world leader in gun control – the Bondi attack has laid bare a more complicated truth.

On a spring day in the year 1996, a solitary shooter armed with rapid-fire weapons murdered 35 people in the historic site of Port Arthur.

That horrific event nearly three decades ago, which ushered in some of the most stringent firearm regulations in the world, can appear as a bygone age for many residents.

However, the Bondi Beach attack this past Sunday, which resulted in 15 fatalities, has brought back painful recollections of the Port Arthur massacre.

Gun Ownership at a Historic Peak

A analysis revealed that there are now more than four million guns in private hands across the country – a figure that is almost double the amount from the late 1990s.

This equates to approximately one gun for every seven Australians.

While the state of Queensland has the most registered guns, followed by NSW and Victoria, it is Tasmania and the NT that have the most guns per person.

The data also challenges the widespread belief that guns are mainly owned by people in regional areas.

Weapons are common in urban centres, with a large share located in major cities.

Critically, there are now weapons owned by a smaller group, with the registered individual possessing several firearms.

What Are Australia's Current Gun Laws?

Firearm regulations in Australia are varied across the country, with a patchwork implementation of rules between different jurisdictions.

Typically, to obtain a gun licence, an individual must be an adult, deemed a "fit and proper person", pass a training and safety course, and provide a "valid purpose" for ownership.

The permitted justifications include recreational hunting or pest control, target or sport shooting, certain job-related needs, and for collections.

However, significant shortcomings remain. For instance, young people in some areas can have supervision of a firearm from as young as pre-teen age.

Following the Port Arthur massacre, a major rewrite of national gun laws was enacted, leading to a large-scale surrender scheme of over 650,000 firearms.

Certain types of firearms were prohibited, and vetting procedures alongside mandatory cooling-off periods for sales were introduced.

A key tenet of these reforms was the removal of "home security" as a justifiable cause for gun ownership.

New Push for Gun Law Reform

In the wake the Bondi shooting, political leaders were unequivocal about the need to strengthen gun laws.

A country-wide firearm surrender program was announced, marking the first such effort since 1996.

Other proposals now under consideration include:

• Limiting the number of guns an individual can possess.
• Ending "perpetual" licensing arrangements.
• Making formal citizenship a requirement for firearm ownership.
• Improving intelligence sharing during licence application processes.

There are also calls for periodic reassessments of existing licence holders, acknowledging that "situations evolve" over time.

An Ongoing Controversy

These reform efforts have met with opposition from some quarters.

Pro-gun advocates contend that restricting ownership would not have averted an attack driven by radicalisation.

They suggest that political capital would be better spent combating radicalisation rather than changing laws for the great bulk of responsible owners.

Furthermore, a key proposed reform from 1996 – a centralised weapon tracking system – remains unfinished, though it has now been listed as a priority.

Tragedy as a Wake-Up Call

For reformers, the Bondi attack is a horrific reminder that policies must be updated with changing times.

They argue that reform is needed to "keep up-to-date" and safeguard communities.

While mass shootings remain infrequent in Australia compared to some nations, the potential persists, and the challenge of guns in the wrong hands – through poor storage – continues to pose a danger.

As one advocate stated, "It is unfortunate that it needs such a tragedy to focus attention and pay heed."