New South Wales will launch Australia's first cash-for-guns buyback starting November 2, offering up to AUS$1,000 for handguns, shotguns and rifles surrendered under tightened ownership limits. The scheme follows the December Bondi Beach attack, in which 15 people, including a 10-year-old girl and a Holocaust survivor, were shot dead at a Jewish festival.
Premier Chris Minns said the state expects hundreds of thousands of guns to be handed in, with payouts ranging from AUS$450 for an air rifle to AUS$1,000 for a revolver in the first phase; a second phase covering pricier firearms begins early next year. The program is jointly funded by NSW and the federal government, with businesses and dealers eligible for up to AUS$25,000 in adjustment support.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese framed the buyback as prevention against a repeat attack, though a previously floated nationwide scheme was delayed over funding and implementation questions.
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