Australia's gun count rises above pre-Port Arthur levels as new buyback looms

Data released by the Department of Home Affairs indicates that Australia now possesses 4,113,735 legally registered firearms, a 25% rise from the 3.2 million counted before the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. New South Wales leads with more than 1.1 million guns, followed closely by Queensland, while Tasmania and the Northern Territory have the highest per-capita rates. The state government plans a November buyback that aims to remove over 270,000 weapons, surpassing the scale of the Howard-era program.

Experts note that comprehensive registries exist only in NSW, limiting insight into the link between licensed owners and gun-related crime elsewhere. Estimates suggest 200,000 illegal firearms were identified in 2023, with UN guidelines implying a total of 300,000-600,000 illicit guns, a figure compounded by the rise of 3D-printed weapons. Researchers argue that focusing solely on legal ownership overlooks the primary source of firearm violence.