The Australian Greens have welcomed the government's announcement of a federal firearms buyback, with leader Senator Larissa Waters saying that the party would progress efforts to remove weapons from the streets.
Australian Greens Justice spokesperson Senator David Shoebridge urged the government to seize the opportunity for reform, saying the steps should also include transparency measures around weapon ownership, and banning recreational hunting as a valid cause for licensing.
The Greens' TooManyGuns.org tool allows Australians to see how many weapons are in their local area, revealing the scale of gun ownership in our suburbs. Due to limited transparency nationally there is currently only data available for NSW.
Despite its urban location, Bondi has 190 guns in the 2026 postcode, with one gun owner possessing a shocking 24 registered weapons. Matraville, also in Sydney's east, has one firearm owner with a private arsenal of 295 firearms.
The Gun Safety Alliance recommends a limit of one firearm per licence holder, with extras permitted only if proven.
Leader of the Australian Greens, Senator Larissa Waters said:
"We welcome the announcement of a gun buy-back. There are now more guns in the community than before the Port Arthur massacre. It's time we built on the last gun buy-back and strengthened our gun laws to keep communities safer - at the same time as tackling antisemitism, racism and radicalisation.
"The Greens will help to get guns off our streets, and so should every member of Parliament. It should be above politics to stop the hoarding of these weapons that killed so many innocent men, women and children.
"A gun buyback with practical arrangements for surrender, secure collection, destruction and fair compensation would be a step in the right direction.
"The Greens will work across parliaments to ensure communities are safe from gun violence with fewer dangerous weapons, a national firearms register and strict limits on gun numbers.
"Bans on rapid action and high-powered weapons in our cities and time-limited licenses with ongoing character checks would also work toward greater community safety from firearms.
"We need to take action to stop antisemitism, racism, radicalisation and gun violence, to stamp out both the hateful ideologies and dangerous weapons used to commit this horrific attack. If we unify to get as many deadly weapons off our streets, we will all be safer."
Australian Greens Justice spokesperson, Senator David Shoebridge said:
"We welcome this move for a national gun buyback and it is important to tie it to structural changes in our gun laws that are grounded in community safety.
"No one in suburban Sydney, or anywhere in this country, should have a private arsenal of high powered weapons at their home.
"There must be a clear cap on gun numbers, with multiple weapons only permissible where police are satisfied that there is a distinct requirement based on strict criteria.
"Recreational hunting, which is the reason used to obtain some of the largest caches of deadly weapons, needs to be removed as a basis for obtaining a gun licence.
"Control of wild introduced animals is a credible reason for rural property owners and professional pest controllers to get a gun, it is not a valid reason to arm a suburban accountant or shopkeeper with a dozen hunting rifles.
"The Greens welcome this move to close loopholes and gaps in our gun laws that we, and important advocates like the Gun Safety Alliance, have been trying to close for decades.
"At this moment Australians are right to expect leadership on gun law reform and to reject the empty rhetoric seen in the US, and from some politicians here, thoughts and prayers and no action on gun safety."
Sue Higginson NSW Greens MP and Spokesperson for Justice said:
"The Greens in the recalled NSW Parliament will work to ensure that the Minns Labor Government introduces the most effective gun laws to keep our communities safe.
"We saw the shocking danger of anyone owning more than one firearm at Bondi, which is why the Greens and advocates like the Gun Safety Alliance are calling for strict limits on gun numbers.
"We are all reeling from the devastation that can happen when the wrong people have guns, and too many guns. For many years now we have been calling out the holes in our gun laws that have led to too many guns in our communities. Now is the time to unite and fix this."
