NSW will become the first state to join the national gun buyback scheme.
It’s expected gun owners will hand in up to 274,000 firearms from November.
It comes almost a year after the Bondi Beach terror attack initiated a national conversation about gun laws.
Some states have refused the scheme, while some gun owners say they are being unfairly punished.
Here’s what you need to know.
Background
On 14 December 2025, 15 innocent people were killed in a terrorist attack at a Jewish festival on Bondi Beach.
Police shot one of the alleged attackers dead at the scene.
The other, Naveed Akram, has been charged with 78 offences including 15 counts of murder.
Days later, National Cabinet (the PM and state and territory leaders) discussed strengthening gun laws across the country.
NSW moved fastest, reducing the number of firearms a person can own and reclassifying some weapon types.
1996 changes
This isn’t the first time the Federal Government has rolled out a buyback scheme.
In 1996, a single gunman killed 35 people in Port Arthur, Tasmania.
Within 12 days, Australian leaders developed the National Firearms Agreement (NFA).
As part of the NFA, the Federal Government bought 650,000 guns from the population at a cost of around $300 million, covered by a one-off 0.2% Medicare levy increase.
2026 buyback
NSW Police will run the buyback, starting 2 November 2026.
Since December, the limit on guns per person has been four, except for farmers who can have up to 10.
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If you’re a gun owner in NSW who now has more guns than you’re legally allowed, or you own a gun that’s now banned, you can hand it in for a payment.
You’ll also get a flat payment for handing in ammunition.
Around 274,000 registered firearms (about 24% of all guns registered in NSW) and roughly 50,000 licence holders are affected.
Revolvers are compensated at $1,000, and semi-automatic handguns at $850.
Double barrel shotguns are compensated at $850, and single barrel shotguns at $650.
Centrefire rifles are compensated at $1,000, rimfire rifles at $600, and air rifles at $450.
NSW and the Federal Government are splitting the cost of running the scheme 50:50.
The Federal Government is covering the full cost of destroying the guns once they’re handed in.
“After Bondi, we promised the people of NSW we would introduce the toughest gun laws in the country, and that’s exactly what we did.”
NSW Premier Chris Minns, announcing the rollout of the gun buyback scheme.
Response
NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane says she isn’t against a gun buyback in principle, but called this one “half-baked.”
Sloane said the payments should reflect fair market value, and that “the real enemy is not a farmer, and it is not a law-abiding sporting shooter from Sydney’s west.”
The Shooting Industry Foundation of Australia has condemned the scheme, arguing the firearms being bought back are already legally registered and safely stored, so the buyback won’t touch illegal guns.
What’s next?
From 2 November, gun dealers and businesses affected by the new rules can apply for grants of up to $25,000.
Phase 2 starts in early 2027.
It opens up a paid pathway for owners to claim extra compensation on higher value guns (more than $3,000), up to $10,000 per firearm.
Some states have rejected the buyback scheme, including Queensland and Victoria, while other states are still in negotiations with the Federal Government over funding, including Tasmania.
