NSW introduces Australia’s strictest gun laws, capping ownership and banning terror symbols, following the deadly Bondi Beach attack.
SYDNEY: The government of New South Wales has introduced what it calls Australia’s strictest gun laws and a ban on displaying terrorist symbols.
The move follows last week’s attack where two gunmen killed 15 people at a Hanukkah event on Bondi Beach.
The state parliament was recalled for two days to pass the new legislation.
“We can’t pretend that the world is the same as it was before that terrorist incident on Sunday,” New South Wales Premier Chris Minns told reporters.
The reforms will cap the number of guns an individual can own at four, or ten for exempted individuals like farmers.
Officials said there are more than 1.1 million firearms in the state.
The legislation also bans the display of symbols like the Islamic State flag, which was found in a car linked to one alleged shooter.
Authorities can now prohibit protests for up to three months following a terrorism incident.
Police said the two alleged gunmen were inspired by “Islamic State ideology”.
One alleged shooter, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, was killed by police during the attack.
His 24-year-old son Naveed remains in hospital under police guard facing multiple charges.
Minns said he would also look into stricter hate speech laws next year, including restrictions on the phrase “globalise the intifada”.
The federal government has also flagged reforms to gun ownership and hate speech laws.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a sweeping gun buyback scheme last week.
It is the largest such scheme since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.
