New South Wales Premier Chris Minns is taking immediate legislative action in response to the Bondi beach terrorist attack, announcing he will recall parliament next week to push through stricter gun control measures.
Urgent Legislative Reforms Proposed
The premier confirmed his government is urgently drafting legislation that will introduce a limit on the number of firearms a single licence holder can own. While Western Australia has a limit of five, Minns stated he believes that is "too many," with sources indicating a cap of three is under consideration.
"I think a lot of Australians are asking the same question: 'How can this person have six guns?'" Minns said. He emphasised that while stringent laws were enacted after the Port Arthur massacre, it is "quite clear that we need to do more."
The proposed bill will also include measures to reclassify straight shotguns and potentially prohibit belt-fed magazines for those weapons.
Enhanced Police Powers and Review of Hunting
A significant change will strengthen police authority to reject a firearms licence application. The reform will allow refusal based on intelligence suggesting a person, or their associates, may pose a security risk. Furthermore, the bill aims to remove the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) as an appeal route once a licence revocation decision is made on such grounds.
"At the moment, New South Wales police routinely yank licences... those appeals are heard in NCAT, and often police's objections are overturned and the guns remain with that individual," Minns explained.
The premier also foreshadowed a broader review, questioning whether recreational hunting should remain a legitimate reason for gun ownership in the state. "We are going to review that. But the best mechanism to handle it, we haven't worked out yet," he stated.
A Shift in Political Stance
This firm stance marks a notable shift for Minns and the NSW Labor government. For much of 2023, the political momentum favoured relaxing gun laws, with Labor broadly supporting a private member's bill from the Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party.
That bill, proposed by MLC Robert Borsak, included a legislative right to hunt, the creation of a Conservation Hunting Authority, and relaxed rules on silencers and night vision gear. The government had even allocated $7.9 million in the budget for the proposed authority.
However, after a campaign by gun control advocates and a meeting with Port Arthur survivor Walter Mikac in September, Minns began to retreat. He expressed concern that a "right to hunt" could evoke a US-style right to bear arms, stating, "We can never go down that road."
The tragic events at Bondi beach, where 15 people were killed, have now definitively ended the prospect of Borsak's bill becoming law.
In the attack's aftermath, questions have also been raised about police firepower, with NSW officers typically armed only with handguns. Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon acknowledged the dynamic had changed and said a review would consider officers' need for greater firepower.
Minns concluded that the announced measures are "not the end of it," with ongoing discussions with stakeholder groups continuing.
