Australian Leaders Sign Agreement To Strengthen Gun Laws

CANBERRA, Aug 26 (NNN-Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the state and territory leaders on Wednesday signed an agreement to strengthen gun laws following the Bondi Beach terror attack, reported Xinhua.

Albanese and the eight state and territory leaders said in a joint statement after meeting on Wednesday that only Australian citizens would be allowed to hold a firearms licence under the updated National Firearms Agreement.

Additionally, they said the updated agreement prohibits the manufacture of 3D-printed firearms, as well as the possession and distribution of materials used to manufacture such weapons.

The leaders said the update, the first to the agreement since 2017, would reduce the risk of firearm-related harm following the fatal shooting of 15 people at a Jewish event at Sydney's Bondi Beach in December.

Prioritising efforts to implement an updated National Firearms Agreement was one of 14 recommendations made by the ongoing Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion in its interim report handed down in April.

It also recommended that all states and territories prioritise efforts to implement a gun buyback scheme.

So far, only the Australian Capital Territory and the state of New South Wales have agreed to implement buyback schemes.

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