Australia gun buyback to start in November, PM Albanese says

Australia's New South Wales state will launch a gun buyback program in November, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Sunday. This initiative forms a key part of the nation's response to a recent shooting incident that claimed 15 lives at a Jewish festival in Sydney.

The federal government enacted laws in January mandating the gun buyback, alongside stricter gun license checks and measures to combat hate speech. These actions followed the December 14 attack at a Bondi Beach Hanukkah celebration in Australia's most populous city. The firearms used in the alleged attack were reportedly obtained legally.

Australia recorded a record 4.1 million firearms last year, with over 1.1 million located in New South Wales. The upcoming buyback is set to be the country's most extensive since a similar campaign in 1996, following the Port Arthur massacre where 35 people were killed.

Prime Minister Albanese and New South Wales Premier Chris Minns stated that the scheme commences on November 2. Individuals returning rifles and handguns are eligible for compensation of up to A$1,000 per firearm. Albanese noted that despite Australia's pride in its gun laws, the number of firearms in the country now exceeds levels seen during the post-Port Arthur buyback period.

“

Australians are quite rightly proud of our gun laws, but the fact is there are more guns in Australia today than there were at the time of dealing with the Port Arthur gun buyback.