NSW Premier Commits to Gun Law Overhaul, May Recall Parliament After Bondi Attack
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A suburban Sydney gun owner with six registered firearms carried out the deadliest mass shooting in Australia since Port Arthur. Now NSW is preparing to rewrite its gun laws.
Premier Chris Minns confirmed on today that gun reform legislation is actively being drafted, telling reporters: “The short answer is yes. They need to change and they can change.”
The father held a Category AB firearms licence, which he had possessed since 2015. That licence entitled him to own the long-arm weapons used in the attack.
What Is a Category AB Firearms Licence?
In NSW, a Category AB licence allows owners to hold rifles and shotguns for purposes including recreational hunting and gun club membership. The shooter qualified because he was a member of a gun club.
Under current law, once granted, these licences can be held indefinitely without regular review.
The Problem With “Licences in Perpetuity”
When asked about the shooter’s qualifications, Police Commissioner Karen Webb (referred to as “Mel” in the transcript) stated he “met the eligibility criteria for a firearms licence.”
But Minns pointed to a deeper flaw in the system: licences granted “in perpetuity.”
The Premier said: “The granting of a firearms licence in perpetuity is clearly not fit for purpose when you consider that someone might have committed an offence, put themselves in a situation where they’re considered by police vulnerable to a criminal act.”
Police had previously flagged this issue, according to Minns.
Just In : NSW Premier Vows Gun Law Overhaul After Bondi Attack Kills 15
ew South Wales Premier Chris Minns committed to overhauling the state’s firearms legislation less than 24 hours after a father and son used legally registered weapons to kill 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration in Bondi Beach.
Minns said current laws granting firearms licences “in perpetuity” are “not fit for purpose” and confirmed he would consider recalling Parliament to expedite reforms. The father, who held a Category AB licence since 2015 with six registered long-arm weapons, was killed by police. His 24-year-old son remains hospitalised and is expected to face criminal charges.
What Changes Are Being Proposed?
While specific details haven’t been announced, Minns indicated several directions:
Restricting access for non-agricultural users. Minns asked: “If you’re not a farmer, if you’re not involved in agriculture, why do you need these massive weapons that put the public in danger?”
Auditing current licence holders. A journalist asked whether the state would audit existing firearms licence holders to determine if they still meet the criteria. Minns acknowledged this was on the table.
Tightening eligibility requirements. The Premier suggested reforms would make it “more difficult to get these horrifying weapons that have no practical use in our community.”
A Troubling Pattern
Reporters noted this wasn’t an isolated case of a licensed gun owner committing violence. They cited other recent cases involving licensed firearm holders, including John Edwards and Jack Alters.
One journalist asked: “Doesn’t our gun registry laws need to change?”
The Premier agreed, calling the weapons “weapons of mass destruction” that don’t belong on NSW streets.
What Happens Next
Minns said legislation was being drafted and asked for “some time to get the legislation drafted so that we can do it in an appropriate way.”
When asked if he would recall Parliament to fast-track the reforms, he answered: “Yes.”
Parliament would otherwise not sit until the new year, meaning a recall would signal urgency not seen since major emergency legislation.
Why This Matters
Australia’s 1996 National Firearms Agreement, introduced after the Port Arthur massacre, is often cited globally as a model for gun reform. That agreement banned automatic and semi-automatic weapons and introduced strict licensing.
But this attack—using legally registered weapons owned by a licensed shooter in suburban Sydney—has exposed what Minns called gaps in a system that’s “not fit for purpose.”
The reform debate will now centre on whether licences should require periodic renewal, whether non-farmers should face tighter restrictions, and how intelligence agencies and firearms registries share information.
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