Another Aussie territory signs up for Albanese’s gun buyback scheme after Bondi Beach shooting
The Australian Capital Territory will join the Albanese government’s gun buyback scheme as part of a push to strengthen firearms laws following the Bondi Beach shooting.
Similar to the agreement reached between New South Wales and the Commonwealth last week, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr confirmed a deal had been reached on Friday.
National cabinet agreed to tackle antisemitism and strengthen firearms restrictions across the nation following the deadly December 2025 shootings.
ACT had committed to the scheme when it was announced late last year but only confirmed the specifics of the arrangement this week.
Compensation will be paid from November 2 for firearms beyond the new legal ownership limits and for newly reclassified firearms, along with a flat fee for associated ammunition.
The scheme, which has not yet been adopted by some states or territories, will also provide financial assistance for businesses and industry to adjust to the reforms.
Under the ACT agreement, the Commonwealth will fund 75 per cent of the buyback costs, as well as all costs of firearm destruction. The ACT Government will cover the remaining costs.
There are currently about 23,000 firearms in the territory and more than 7,000 firearms licence holders.
The ACT is joining a nationwide push to strengthen Australia’s gun laws
The Albanese’s Government is funding the majority of the gun buyback scheme for ACT
Around 14 per cent of licence holders are expected to be affected by proposed new firearm ownership limits.
A fixed price schedule will apply to individual licence holders who return firearms that exceed the new legal limits, in exchange for compensation.
The Commonwealth will also provide financial assistance to businesses and industry to help them adjust to the reforms.
Eligible businesses and dealers will be offered grants of up to $25,000, as well as one-off licence fee relief worth $500 over two years per dealer.
From early 2027, eligible owners of higher-value firearms will be able to claim compensation, with firearms valued above $3,000 eligible for compensation capped at $10,000 per firearm.
In a statement, Barr said the agreement with the government would strengthen community safety and support effective firearm reforms across the state.
‘Reducing the number of high-risk firearms in circulation is a sensible and practical measure to help keep Canberrans safer,’ he said, according to ABC News.
‘The ACT has some of the strongest firearms laws in the country and this agreement supports our ongoing efforts to further reduce the risk of firearms falling into the wrong hands.’
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr confirmed a deal had been reached on Friday
On Saturday morning, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke praised the new agreement met between the Commonwealth and the ACT government.
‘We know that most firearms, the overwhelming majority of firearms, are held by good citizens who will never use them for an improper purpose,’ he told reporters.
‘But there were concerns from the Australian people as to how individuals such as those at Bondi that day had the number of firearms that they’d been licensed with, had been approved to get firearms at all, and similarly, the issue of the particular firearms that they held.
‘We’ve designed the buyback to make sure that it can match the different way that different jurisdictions are dealing with this.’
Burke added that the ACT’s proximity to NSW means the efficacy of the scheme will be improved as both governments have joined the deal.
