Australia has long been held up as a global model for gun control following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, but the Bondi Beach terror attack in December 2025 has reignited debate over whether the country's firearms laws remain fit for purpose.
The Sydney shooting, which left 16 people dead and more than 40 injured, has prompted renewed political and public scrutiny of loopholes, uneven enforcement and the growing number of firearms in private hands, despite decades of strict regulation.
