Canberra, Aug 2026 : Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Saturday announced that the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) will join the national gun buyback scheme introduced following last year’s deadly mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
Albanese said the ACT government had agreed to participate in the programme as part of wider efforts by the federal government to strengthen Australia’s firearm laws and improve public safety.
The federal government introduced legislation for the nationwide gun buyback scheme in January, following the December 14, 2025, attack at a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach that killed 15 people. It was Australia’s deadliest mass shooting since 1996.
The ACT government had initially committed to participating in the programme but continued negotiations with Canberra over the funding arrangements. Under the agreement now reached, the federal government will cover 75 per cent of the costs associated with the buyback and its administration, while also funding the full cost of destroying surrendered firearms.
“National gun reform is an important part of making sure an antisemitic terrorist attack, as we saw at Bondi, can't happen again,” Albanese said in a statement.
“I thank the ACT government for their collaboration as we work to take guns off our streets to better protect Australians,” he added.
The ACT becomes the second of Australia’s eight states and territories to formally join the national buyback scheme. New South Wales (NSW) became the first state to sign up earlier this month.
According to Albanese, the ACT currently has approximately 23,000 firearms and more than 7,000 licensed firearm owners. The buyback programme is intended to encourage the voluntary surrender of firearms and reduce the number of weapons in circulation.
The initiative forms part of a broader national debate over firearm regulation following the Bondi attack, with federal and state governments examining measures aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future.
In NSW, authorities have already announced details of compensation under the buyback programme. The state government will offer up to 1,000 Australian dollars for firearms surrendered during the first phase, scheduled to begin on November 2.
A second phase, expected to start in early 2027, will cover higher-value firearms, with compensation of up to 10,000 Australian dollars for eligible weapons.
The federal government has been working with state and territory administrations to establish a coordinated approach to firearm collection, compensation and destruction.
The participation of the ACT and NSW marks the initial implementation of the national programme, while discussions with the remaining states and territories are expected to continue as Australia seeks to strengthen its gun-control framework.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
