Australia Enacts Sweeping New Gun and Protest Restrictions After Bondi Attack

Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales (NSW), has passed a sweeping package of gun‑control and anti‑protest measures following the deadly mass shooting at Bondi Beach earlier this month, triggering both bipartisan support and fierce criticism from civil liberties groups.

The legislation — formally known as the Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 — was approved in the early hours of December 24 after an emergency parliamentary session. Lawmakers fast‑tracked the bill in response to the December 14 attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach, where 15 people were killed and dozens more injured.

Toughest Gun Laws Since Port Arthur

Under the new rules, NSW will now enforce what officials describe as the toughest firearm regulations in the country. Key provisions include:

• A cap of four firearms per individual licence holder, with exemptions allowing farmers to own up to 10 guns.
• Mandatory gun‑club membership for all licence holders.
• A forthcoming federal gun buyback proposal, supported by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, aimed at reducing the number of firearms in circulation.

NSW Premier Chris Minns defended the reforms, saying the state had “changed forever” after the Bondi attack and that the government was “doing everything possible to keep people safe”.

New Powers to Restrict Protests

The bill also grants police expanded authority to ban public protests for up to three months following a terrorism declaration. Authorities will additionally be able to prohibit the public display of symbols associated with banned organisations, a measure aimed at curbing extremist propaganda.

Civil rights groups — including Palestinian, Jewish, and Indigenous organisations — have condemned the protest restrictions as overreach, warning they could be used to suppress legitimate political expression. Several groups have already signalled plans to launch a constitutional challenge, calling the laws “rushed” and “dangerously broad”.

Political Divide and Public Reaction

The bill passed with support from both the Labor government and the Liberal opposition, though the National Party and multiple activist groups opposed it, arguing that the reforms were introduced too hastily and without adequate consultation.

Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane described the legislation as “rushed,” even as her party ultimately backed it. Critics say the protest‑ban provisions appear to disproportionately target pro‑Palestinian demonstrations, which have grown in frequency across Australia in recent months.

Premier Minns has insisted the laws will not interfere with planned Invasion Day protests in January, though legal experts say the broad language of the bill leaves significant room for interpretation by police and government officials.

A Nation Still Reeling

The Bondi Beach attack — the deadliest mass shooting in Australia in decades — has reignited national debates over extremism, gun ownership, and public safety. Police allege the two gunmen targeted the Jewish community in what authorities have described as an antisemitic terrorist attack.

As NSW begins implementing the new laws, the government has signalled that further reforms may follow. “We are not done,” Premier Minns said on Christmas Eve, suggesting additional measures could be introduced in 2026.

For now, the state enters the new year under a dramatically altered legal landscape — one that supporters say is necessary for public safety, and critics warn could reshape civil liberties for years to come.