close Video Multiple explosives,
ISIS flag recovered from
Bondi Beach attack site Fox News correspondent Steve Harrigan reports from
Bondi Beach after new police documents detail the
Sydney Hanukkah terror attack, including pipe bombs and an
ISIS flag, as anger grows over
Australia’s response to rising antisemitism. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Hören Sie sich diesen Artikel an 4 Min
New South Wales in
Australia is slated to begin a
gun buyback scheme in November, the first state in the nation to kick-off the program as part of the national response to a shooting spree that killed 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration in the state capital of
Sydney, Australian Prime Minister
Anthony Albanese announced on Sunday. Albanese and
New South Wales Premier
Chris Minns said the scheme would start on November 2. People who return eligible firearms under the first phase would receive fixed compensation ranging from $450 to $1,000 per firearm, depending on the type. A second phase will provide a valuation pathway for certain higher-value firearms, capped at $10,000 per firearm. Albanese's center-left government adopted new gun-control laws in January in the aftermath of the December 14 attack at a
Bondi Beach Hanukkah celebration, including the gun buyback program and tighter firearms measures.
New South Wales separately passed tighter state firearms laws in December, while the federal government also strengthened laws targeting
hate speech and
extremism. The pair of alleged gunmen used firearms that were obtained legally.
Australia's government said there were a record 4.1 million firearms in the country last year, including more than 1.1 million in
New South Wales, its most populous state.
Australia VOWS TO STRENGTHEN
hate speech LAWS, GUN CONTROL IN WAKE OF
Bondi Beach ATTACK Australian Prime Minister
Anthony Albanese's government adopted new gun-control laws in January in the aftermath of the December 14 attack at a
Bondi Beach Hanukkah celebration. (Hollie Adams/Reuters) "We must do everything we can to make sure the antisemitic terrorist attack in Bondi doesn’t happen again. That includes meaningful nationwide
gun reform," Albanese said in a statement. The initiative is set to be
Australia's largest buyback since a similar effort following the 1996 massacre in
Tasmania's Port Arthur, when a gunman killed 35 people. "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 ," Albanese said.
New South Wales generally limits individual firearm ownership to four guns under restrictions sparked by the
Bondi Beach attack, with exemptions allowingcertain licence holders, including some primary producers, sport shooters and others with specified genuine reasons, to possess more firearms. It estimates that up to 274,000 registered firearms — about 24% of the total number of registered firearms in
New South Wales — and about 50,000 license holders are affected by the new limits on gun ownership and reclassification of some types of firearms. VIRGINIA GUN SALES SPIKE AHEAD OF JULY 1 ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN SIGNED BY GOV. SPANBERGER
Australia's government said there was a record 4.1 million firearms in the country last year, including more than 1.1 million in
New South Wales. (Steve Markham/AP Photo) "After Bondi, we promised the people of
New South Wales we would introduce the toughest gun laws in the country, and that’s exactly what we did," Minns said. "The next step is getting the guns that are no longer permitted under those laws out of circulation and permanently off our streets." "There are potentially hundreds of thousands of firearms affected by these changes," Minns added. "We want those guns handed in, compensated for and safely destroyed. This is a big undertaking, but the principle behind it is simple: fewer dangerous guns in our community means a safer
New South Wales." The attack was allegedly carried out by a father and son who police believe were inspired by the Islamic State. The 50-year-old father, Sajid Akram, was shot and killed by police at the scene, while the surviving suspect, Naveed Akram, 24, has not yet entered pleas on a slew of charges, including 15 counts of murder. Authorities have charged him with 59 offenses in total, including committing a terrorist act and 15 counts of murder. The attack was carried out by a father and son who police believe were inspired by the Islamic State. (Steve Markham/AP Photo) A man identified as Ahmed al Ahmed has been praised as a hero for tackling and disarming one of the gunmen. He suffered gunshot wounds in the incident and is still recovering. "After the tragedy at Bondi, we committed to dealing with the motive and the method," Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke said. "Since then, we have strengthened our hate crimes and
hate speech laws, which are now the strongest in our country’s history." "Today we continue the proud Australian tradition of sensible
gun reform designed to protect our community from weapons which have no utility other than to cause harm." he added.