Canberra, August 22: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Saturday that the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) will participate in the ‘gun buyback’ scheme initiated after the tragic mass shooting at Bondi Beach in December.
Albanese stated that the ACT has agreed to implement this plan as part of efforts to strengthen Australia’s gun laws. The federal government introduced legislation related to the gun buyback scheme in January. This action was taken following a shooting during a Jewish festival at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025, which resulted in the deaths of 15 individuals. It marked Australia’s deadliest mass shooting since 1996.
Initially, the ACT expressed interest in joining the scheme, but discussions regarding funding with the federal government were ongoing. Under the final agreement, the federal government will cover 75% of the costs associated with the gun buyback and administrative expenses, while it will bear the full cost of weapon destruction.
Albanese emphasized, “National gun reform is a crucial part of ensuring that incidents of anti-Semitic terrorism, like the one at Bondi, do not happen again.” He thanked the ACT government for its cooperation, stating, “We are working together to remove weapons from the streets for the better safety of Australians.”
With this decision, the ACT becomes the second region among Australia’s eight states and territories to agree to the scheme, following New South Wales (NSW), which joined earlier in August.
Currently, there are approximately 23,000 guns in the ACT, with over 7,000 individuals holding firearm licenses. The NSW government has announced that in the first phase of its buyback program, starting November 2, individuals can receive up to AUD 1,000 (around USD 717) for surrendered firearms.
In the second phase, set to begin in early 2027, higher-value weapons will yield payments of up to AUD 10,000 (approximately USD 7,170).
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