Alarming new data has exposed the scale of private firearm ownership in parts of Sydney, revealing that some individuals hold registrations for more than 300 guns. This revelation comes as a fierce national debate over gun control legislation intensifies in the aftermath of the deadly Bondi Beach terror attack.
Bondi Tragedy Ignites Urgent Legislative Review
The tragic attack on Sunday, which occurred during Hanukkah celebrations, resulted in the deaths of 15 innocent people. The alleged perpetrators were father and son Sajid Akram, 50, and Naveed Akram, 24. The incident prompted immediate scrutiny of Australia's gun laws after police confirmed that Sajid Akram had six firearms legally registered under his name.
In response, NSW Premier Chris Minns acknowledged the pressing need for legislative review. "It does require legislation," Minns stated on Monday, emphasising the goal is to "make it more difficult to get these horrifying weapons that have no practical use in our community."
Shocking Scale of Private Ownership Revealed
Data from the NSW Firearms registry, which details licensing and ownership information for individuals, has uncovered the extreme concentration of gun ownership. The figures are startling:
- One individual in the suburb of Cremorne has 386 firearms registered in their name.
- Another person in Chifley holds 303 registered firearms.
- Six other people across NSW each have more than 100 guns registered.
Furthermore, the registry shows that a significant 33,287 gun licences were issued in just the first six months of 2025, between January 1 and June 30.
National Push for Reform and Historical Context
The call for change has reached the highest levels of government. Following the Bondi attack, a national cabinet meeting on Monday agreed to take immediate action on gun law reform and to review the National Firearms Agreement (NFA).
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stressed the necessity for a unified approach, stating, "The system is only as strong as its weakest link... Common sense tells you that we need a national approach." His comments came after former Prime Minister John Howard, who spearheaded sweeping national reforms after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, cautioned that a gun debate must not distract from battling anti-Semitism.
The historic Port Arthur reforms, enacted with bipartisan support twelve days after 35 people were murdered, led to a massive buyback scheme that removed approximately 650,000 firearms from circulation.
Proposed reform options now under consideration include:
- Limiting the number of firearms any single individual can own.
- Restricting firearm licences to Australian citizens only.
- Ending open-ended firearms licensing and tightening regulations on legal gun types and modifications.
Advocacy groups have voiced strong support for stricter measures. Tim Quinn, a spokesperson for Gun Control Australia, argued that firearm access should be tightly linked to genuine need. "We're trying to make sure that occupation is the reason that you would have a gun," he said. "If you were an occasional hunter, you shouldn't be having six guns. And some people in Sydney right now have up to 300 guns."
Meanwhile, the National Rifle Association of Australia's executive officer, Steve Bingley, condemned the violence in the "strongest possible terms," asserting there is no place for terrorism or anti-Semitism in Australia. The NRAA declined to speculate on potential government measures while police investigations remain active.
As the nation mourns the victims of the Bondi attack, the confronting data on firearm ownership has solidified a bipartisan push for modernising Australia's gun laws, aiming to close loopholes and strengthen national safety standards for future generations.
