Bondi Beach shooting prompts Australia to tighten firearms and protest rules
The bill was passed by both chambers (Photo: Getty Images)
In Australia’s most populous state, laws on gun ownership and public gatherings have been tightened after two ISIS-inspired attackers killed 15 people during a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach in Sydney, according to Bloomberg.
Specifically, the government of New South Wales convened an emergency parliamentary session to approve measures such as limiting the number of firearms an individual can possess.
It is also prohibited for individuals under investigation for terrorism-related offenses, or those living with such individuals, to own firearms.
Thus, the 2025 bill amending terrorism legislation and other laws, which includes a ban on protests for up to three months following a terrorist act, was passed today by the upper house of parliament shortly before 3 a.m., and later approved by the lower house in the morning.
“These are very significant changes that not everyone will agree with, but our state has changed following the horrific antisemitic attack on Bondi Beach and our laws must change too,” Prime Minister Chris Minns said on Wednesday.
What was and what has changed
According to Bloomberg, Australia already has some of the strictest gun laws in the world, under which firearm ownership is treated as a regulated privilege rather than a right.
Applicants are also required to demonstrate a genuine need for a firearm and undergo a thorough background check.
At the same time, Police Minister Yasmin Catley says that there are 1.1 million firearms in New South Wales.
Under the new law, individual owners will be allowed to possess no more than four firearms, except for farmers, who will be permitted to own up to ten.
Additionally, the law restricts the use of pump-action, bolt-action, and lever-action firearms, allowing them only for farmers and other primary producers. The legislation also reduces the permissible magazine capacity for certain types of weapons and bans the use of belt-fed magazines.
Licensing rules will also be tightened: firearm owners will now need to renew their licenses every two years instead of every five.
According to Chris Minns, his state will spend USD 200 million on a gun buyback program as part of a joint fund with the federal government.
Moreover, in New South Wales, public display of extremist symbols such as ISIS, Hamas, or Hezbollah flags is now prohibited.
At the federal level, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the strengthening of hate speech laws against those promoting violence or racial defamation, and also announced new criminal penalties and expanded powers to combat organizations and individuals spreading hatred.
Mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney
On December 14, 2025, a mass shooting occurred at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, during a Hanukkah celebration. The incident resulted in dozens of people being killed and injured.
Authorities called the killings, carried out by a father and son, the most terrorist act in Australia. It is known that the father was eventually killed in the same shootout, and his son, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, has been charged with 59 counts, including murder and terrorism.
For more details about the second deadliest terrorist attack in Australia, read the article about RBC-Ukraine.
