NSW PREMIER Chris Minns says he is “ready to fight” next year’s state election on the gun buyback scheme, which he estimates will cost “hundreds of millions of dollars”.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Mr Minns on Sunday announced the state expects one-quarter of firearms registered in the state will be handed in during the buyback – up to 274,000 weapons.
The buyback comes after the Bondi terror attack of December 2025, and will begin on November 2.
A buyback was one recommendation in the interim report of the anti-Semitism royal commission with the Federal Government pushing for a national scheme, though so far only NSW has fully committed.
Mr Minns said the scheme would eclipse the Howard-era buyback in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre.
“To put it into perspective, the Howard-era buyback took around 160,000 guns out of circulation in NSW,” he said.
“This program alone will see 274,000 guns out of circulation in NSW. It’s far bigger in scope.
“We believe NSW will have the toughest gun laws of any state in Australia – some of the toughest gun laws of any place in the world.
“We are doing this deliberately to get guns out of circulation in our community to ensure we don’t have another terrorism event.”
The Federal Government will pay for destroying the firearms, while the state and commonwealth will split the administrative costs.
The federal Nationals and One Nation have all said they would repeal the firearms law changes made in the wake of last year’s Bondi attack.
Mr Minns took aim at One Nation on Sunday, saying the firearm buyback would be an issue at the March state election.
“One Nation said they’re scrapping all this … all the laws … so it is on the ballot whether we want it or not,” Mr Minns said.
“We’re ready to fight an election on it, not that we want that, we’re not changing our position and voters ought to know that when they cast their ballot.”
The NSW scheme is the first tranche of a buyback Mr Albanese hoped to make national, criticising some States’ gun licensing regimes.
“I think it is somewhat farcical that some states were still … having paper licences that therefore couldn’t be traced,” Mr Albanese said.
“We must do everything we can to make sure the anti-Semitic terrorist attack in Bondi doesn’t happen again.
“That includes meaningful nationwide gun reform.”
NSW opposition leader Kellie Sloane said the laws ignored legitimate concerns from farmers, sporting shooters, collectors and firearms dealers.
“Labor’s laws target law-abiding citizens while failing to confront the real threats to public safety exposed by the Bondi terrorist attack and ongoing criminal gang warfare,” Ms Sloane said.
CHECK OUT THE LATEST EDITION OF THE WEEKLY TIMES BY CLICKING BELOW!
