NSW parliament recalled to discuss gun reforms after Bondi Beach shooting
Premier Chris Minns says he will recall the NSW parliament to discus urgent gun reform. (ABC News: Nick Dole)
In short:
NSW parliament will be recalled next week with gun reforms under discussion after the Bondi terror attack.
Premier Chris Minns says the state government will also consider measures to restrict protest activity.
What's next?
Mr Minns says the legislation is now being drafted and will be fast-tracked through parliament.
The New South Wales parliament will be recalled ahead of Christmas next week to consider gun reforms in the wake of the Bondi terror attack.
Premier Chris Minns said among the reforms to be discussed were proposed limits on the number of firearms a licensed shooter could own.
The proposed legislation would also reclassify straight shotguns and prohibit belt-fed ammunition magazines in those weapons.
The legislation would seek to remove the right of shooters to appeal to the NSW Civil and Administrative tribunal when a licence is revoked.
The proposed laws would seek to limit the number of guns an individual could hold in NSW. (ABC News: Sam Clark)
Mr Minns said the government would share the proposed bill with the opposition as soon as possible.
Authorities have previously confirmed Bondi Beach shooting gunman Sajid Akram was licensed for six registered firearms, all of which were seized in the hours after the attack.
There is currently no cap on the number of firearms an individual can hold in NSW.
Mr Minns said the legislation was now being drafted and would be fast-tracked through parliament, which would sit on December 22 and 23.
Protest restrictions flagged
The premier said the state government would also consider measures to restrict protest activity in the wake of terror threats.
"My concern is that a mass demonstration in this combustible situation with our multicultural community could light a flame that would be impossible to extinguish," he said.
Mr Minns says restrictions on mass demonstrations during terror threats are also being considered. (ABC News: Jack Fisher)
"We're looking at reforms whereby, when there's a terrorism designation in the state, the police commissioner may not accept applications for protests on the grounds it will both stretch police resources and, secondly, add to community disharmony and as a result, a combustible situation in the state.
"I have to explore all possible ways of ensuring that we lower the temperature in New South Wales and Sydney."
President of the NSW Council of Civil Liberties, Tim Roberts, has called plans to restrict protests "ill considered and ill advised", arguing it would only fuel division within the community.
“We are seriously concerned that by connecting this incident to protest laws, is doing the work of those who are trying to deliberately conflate legitimate criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism and connecting those movements with this horrific attack," Mr Roberts said.
He said the premier's comments on protest laws were distressing "at a time when we’re trying to heal and grieve".
"By putting this out there he’s flaming tensions... as opposed to just letting us in the community respond properly."
Million-plus firearms in NSW
Only in Western Australia is there currently a limit on the number of firearms for an individual.
Across NSW there are individual firearm owners who are registered to hold between two and 298 guns, according to NSW Police data current as of June this year.
There were more than 50 people who had more than 100 firearms registered to them, with a number of those owning more than 200 guns.
Research by Canberra-based think tank the Australia Institute in January found NSW was the Australian jurisdiction with the highest number of guns, with more than 1.1 million firearms registered across the state.
Mr Albanese convened an urgent meeting of national cabinet to discus gun reform on Monday. (AAP: Lukas Coch)
Mr Minns's announcement today comes after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday called an urgent meeting of national cabinet, where premiers and first ministers agreed to bolster rules around gun ownership.
Accelerating the launch of a national firearms register, and making Australian citizenship a condition of a gun licence is also being considered.
Australia's gun laws are considered as some of the strictest in the world and were introduced by the Howard government after 35 people were killed in the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.