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In the aftermath of the awful attack at Bondi, Australia is facing multiple critical reckonings. We are seeing a long-overdue national spotlight on anti-Jewish sentiment, an persistent worry about public safety, and questions about how such an event could happen. But, as viewed 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 Successful Solution

Public health experts have been sounding alarms about guns for a minimum of a decade. In the wake of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians united and implemented a series of reforms to reduce gun violence nationwide. The strategy succeeded. Prior to 1996, the nation experienced approximately one mass shooting per year. In the decades since, there have been extremely rare major events, with none approaching the death toll of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Tragedy and the Function of Current Laws

Amidst the Bondi tragedy, the nation's gun laws were partially effective. Reports indicate the alleged attackers might have been armed with bolt-action rifles and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These firearms can only fire a one round at a time, requiring a physical action to ready the subsequent shot. Although these guns are capable of being discharged quite quickly with devastating effect, they remain significantly less rapid and less efficient than the large-magazine, semi-automatic rifles frequently used in international attacks. The number of deaths at Bondi could have been much greater if more advanced firearms had been accessible.

Stopping another Bondi requires national cohesion. And unfortunately, we have already seen cracks in the facade.

Legislation Showing Weakness

Yet, the terrible toll of the attack reveals that existing firearm regulations are inadequate. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, decades have worn away their effectiveness. Concerningly, there are now a greater number of guns in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some citizens in urban areas owning collections of hundreds of weapons.

We have been complacent and it has cost us terribly.

The Path Forward: Proposed Changes

In the time after the Bondi attack, there have been multiple announcements regarding strengthened gun laws. The state of NSW in particular will shortly enact a package of reforms to reduce the public danger from firearms. The federal government has proposed a fresh gun buyback, and there is potential for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the complexities of aligning state and federal governments.

All of this are only possible if the nation works together. As noted, regarding gun control, the country is dependent on its weakest link. This is the reality of the Australian system – regulations in one state are easily circumvented if they can be bypassed with a short drive across a border.

Countering Frequent Arguments

There is the inevitable argument that "firearms are not the killers, people kill people". This is accurate in the identical way that planes don't transport people, pilots do. Certainly, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be virtually impossible for a pilot to transport 500 people overseas without the plane. The horrific violence seen at Bondi would be all but impossible without guns, and would have been far less damaging if the accused individuals had been denied access to the firearms they possessed.

Balancing Need and Safety

There are legitimate needs for some Australians to possess guns. 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 some cases they are essential tools.

What we can do – what we must do – 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 the passage of years has done its work and the nation is less secure as it previously was. It is vital to take the lessons of Bondi seriously, and make certain that coming Australians are as protected as previous generations have been.

As one commentator remarked after the Bondi attack, "such tragedies just don't happen here". They don't, but only because the country has made concerted efforts to keep itself safe. As nightmarish as the attack was, there is hope that it can become the final tragedy the nation ever sees.