Australia to start gun buyback in November after Sydney attack

New South Wales will begin a gun buyback in November, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Sunday. The program follows a shooting spree that killed 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration in Bondi Beach, Sydney, in December. The buyback is Australia's largest since 1996, and individuals returning firearms can receive up to A$1,000 per weapon.

Albanese's centre-left government enacted laws in January for tighter gun licence checks and a crackdown on hate speech after the attack. Australia had 4.1 million firearms last year, with over 1.1 million in New South Wales. Albanese said Australians are proud of their gun laws but noted that there are more guns now than after the Port Arthur massacre in 1996.

New South Wales now limits individuals to possession of four guns under reforms prompted by the Bondi Beach attack. Police say the attack was carried out by a father and son inspired by the militant group Islamic State. The surviving suspect, Naveed Akram, 24, faces 15 counts of murder and is yet to enter a plea.