New South Wales to become first Australian state with mass gun buyback scheme
Australia's New South Wales state will launch a mass firearms buyback program later this year, backed by the federal government. The move follows a deadly attack at a Jewish holiday gathering in Sydney last December.
The Australian state of New South Wales plans to launch a large-scale firearms buyback program later this year, making it the first state in the country to pursue such an initiative.
The decision follows a violent attack that took place in Sydney during a Jewish holiday celebration last December, which left several people dead. Shortly after the tragedy, local authorities pledged to tighten gun storage regulations.
Federal support, opposition criticism
The New South Wales state government's plan has the backing of Australia's federal government, while it has drawn criticism from the political opposition. The source report does not specify the program's exact terms or scale, but the move marks a notable step in Australia's gun control policy, which has been regarded as among the strictest in the world since the 1996 Port Arthur tragedy.
