“It’s not a right, it’s a privilege”: Australia tightens gun laws as Victoria weighs new limits
As Canberra and Victoria overhaul gun laws post-Bondi, shooters say slow-loading competition rifles are being conflated with high-capacity weapons used for harm.
Zara Cuthbertson
January 23, 2026
This week, the federal government passed new firearm legislation following the December 14 Bondi Beach terror attack.
The measures, combined with Victoria’s ongoing review of its own laws, will tighten background checks, restrict certain firearm imports and fund a national gun buyback scheme.
What’s happening at the state level? Victoria’s review of gun laws is also considering limits on how many firearms an individual can own, as well as the possibility of introducing Australian citizenship requirements for licence holders. Public consultation closes on February 3.
The proposal to cap firearm numbers has drawn pushback from farmers and shooting clubs, who argue responsible licence holders are being caught up in a response aimed at preventing terror incidents.
Not all guns created equal: Victorian Muzzle Loaders Club President and Gippsland resident John Wakely told the Brolga the state needed to distinguish between slow, manually loaded firearms used in competitive shooting and rapid-fire weapons associated with crime and mass casualty events.
“They put them all in the same boat, but they're not,” said Wakely. “These things that were used in Hoddle Street and Port Arthur and up in Bondi aren't these types of firearms.”
Competition limitations: Wakely said muzzle-loading rifles require multiple steps to operate and are used in highly regulated sporting events.
Competing with a range of specialist firearms, Wakely said a cap could make participation impractical.
“If we’re limited to, say, four firearms, I just can't compete,” he said. “I use 17 different firearms to compete in the range of approved matches.”
“I suppose you can't go around a game of golf with just a putter.”
Unfit for public use: Wakely said some high-capacity weapons should face stricter controls, particularly where there is no clear civilian need.
“There are a lot of firearms in society that really shouldn't be there, high capacity, rapid-fire shotguns and high-velocity ammunition,” he said. “They have a place for pest controllers and farmers, but people like me and the average Joe, I don't think so.”
Wakely suggested Victoria could look at treating rifles more like pistols, where owners must be club members and meet participation requirements at shooting matches, but noted this would likely require extra resources for Victoria Police.
Not to be abused: Despite his concerns about the review, Wakely said most shooters understand that firearm ownership in Australia is heavily regulated and should remain so.
“It's not a right, it's a privilege,” he said. “This isn't America, this is Australia, and we need to look out for our fellow Australians.”