The contentious Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Firearms and Customs Laws) Bill 2026 sailed through Parliament just yesterday. While the bill has been modified, the gun control aspects have not. Here is an update of what we gun owners face.
The Core Gun Reforms: What's Actually Changing?
This bill isn't a standalone "gun bill" but a targeted slice of the original omnibus package, split off for smoother passage. It amends laws like the Customs Act, AusCheck Act, and Criminal Code to clamp down on firearms access, ostensibly to prevent tragedies like the Bondi attack. No sweeping bans on all legal guns yet, but it introduces measures that could effectively phase out certain types through attrition. Here's the breakdown:
National Gun Buyback Scheme: This is the headline-grabber – a federally funded program to get firearms out of circulation. It's modelled on the 1996 post-Port Arthur buyback, aiming to reduce the overall number of guns in Aussie hands. Compensation is based on a schedule agreed with states/territories, covering surrender of firearms, magazines, parts, and ammo. The scheme runs for a set period (details via ministerial instrument), with the AFP handling destruction. Is it voluntary? Mostly, but if your gun falls into a newly restricted category (more on that below), you might be "forced" to hand it in with compo – think mandatory for prohibited items, voluntary for others you just want to offload. It's tied to broader reforms, including "proposed" limits on individual ownership (hang tight, I'll hit that).
Enhanced Background Checks: Big Brother gets a bigger role. Amendments to the AusCheck Act allow for ongoing intelligence checks on license applicants and holders, pulling in ASIO security assessments, ACIC criminal intel, and even spent convictions in rare cases. States still decide licenses, but feds supply the dirt. This could revoke permits if you pop up on a watchlist, even post-approval. Critics say it's ripe for abuse, turning law-abiding owners into suspects.
Import Crackdown: Here's where it bites for future access. Changes to Customs regs scrap "open-ended" import permissions, requiring explicit Commonwealth approval for handguns, repeating straight-pull rifles/shotguns, and accessories. Gel blasters? Now classified as "firearms" for import purposes. Imports are restricted to Aussie citizens only, and police certification for certain categories is tightened – no more blanket statements; each import needs scrutiny. Public safety tests let the minister block imports based on risks to health/security. This effectively limits new stock of "dangerous" types, potentially drying up the market over time.
New Offenses for Manufacturing Info: Up to 5 years jail for using the internet (or any "carriage service") to access, share, or possess material on making/modifying firearms, explosives, or lethal devices – including 3D printing guides. Defences exist for legit folks like licensed manufacturers or researchers, but it's a broad net that could snag hobbyists or even curious browsers.
Information Sharing: Customs and border folks can now feed firearms data to ACIC for better intel on licenses.
Key Questions: Ownership Limits and "Dangerous" Guns
The bill doesn't slap a hard numerical cap on how many guns you can own right now. But here's the rub: It supports "broader reforms" that include a proposed limit on individual firearms ownership, to be hashed out with states/territories; then we cop it! Think of it as laying groundwork – details aren't locked in, but the intent is clear: fewer guns per person, tied to license reviews and purposes (e.g., farmers might keep more for work, but collectors or sport shooters could face cuts). Australia's states already indirectly limit via "genuine reason" rules (no owning for self-defence), but this could standardise a federal nudge toward caps, say 5-10 per person like some Euro models. Watch for follow-up regs; as of today (Jan 21, 2026), it's proposed, not enacted.
As for "dangerous" guns? The bill doesn't outright ban existing legal ones across the board, but it targets high-risk categories through imports and buyback incentives. Prime suspects:
Handguns: Stricter import perms needed; seen as concealable and high-threat.
Repeating straight-pull rifles and shotguns: These semi-auto-like firearms get extra scrutiny – fast-firing potential makes them "dangerous" in terror contexts.
High-capacity magazines and parts: Implicit in buyback and imports; anything over standard limits (e.g., 10 rounds) could be flagged.
Gel blasters and replicas: Now under firearm import rules, treating them as potential mods.
3D-printed or homemade: Heavy focus via new offenses, viewing DIY tech as a loophole for criminals.
General high-risk: Anything the public safety test deems a community threat, like military-style or modified weapons.
If your legal gun fits these, it might not be banned tomorrow, but replacing it could become impossible, and buyback pressure might mount if states align.
Why the Opposition Makes Sense: Europe as a Cautionary Tale
Banning or restricting legal guns often misses the mark on crime, as Europe's patchwork shows. Take the UK: Post-1997 handgun ban, violent crime didn't plummet; knife attacks surged instead. France and Germany have tight ownership caps (e.g., 12 per person in France for certain categories) and buybacks, yet illegal firearms fuel gang violence and terror – Paris attacks used smuggled AKs, not legal ones. Stats from the Small Arms Survey show Europe has millions of illicit guns despite bans, with legal owners rarely the problem. In Oz, post-1996 reforms cut mass shootings, but overall gun crime involves illegal guns, not licensed hunters. This bill's focus on legal owners feels like low-hanging fruit – it won't stop black-market flows or determined extremists, just burdens folks like farmers needing tools for pests. Critics like the Nationals (who crossed the floor) call it an "assault" on rights, which it is.
This bill tightens imports, boosts checks, and sets up a buyback that could morph into de facto bans for "dangerous" types like handguns and rapid-fire rifles – no firm ownership numbers yet, but the writing's on the wall. If Europe's any guide, it might not curb real threats while alienating law-abiders.