The Australian Capital Territory has joined Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's gun buyback scheme as part of a push to strengthen firearms laws following the Bondi Beach shooting, Chief Minister Andrew Barr confirmed on Friday.
The agreement mirrors a deal reached between New South Wales and the Commonwealth government last week to crack down on gun ownership across Australia.
National Cabinet agreed to tackle antisemitism and strengthen firearms restrictions nationwide following the deadly December 2025 shootings.
While the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), which encompasses the federal capital of Canberra, committed to the scheme when it was announced late last year, officials only confirmed the specific details of the arrangement this week.
Under the agreement, compensation will be paid from November 2 for firearms that exceed new legal ownership limits and for newly reclassified firearms, alongside a flat fee for associated ammunition.
The funding model splits costs between governments, with the Commonwealth paying 75 per cent of buyback costs and all expenses related to firearm destruction. The ACT government will cover the remaining buyback costs.
There are currently about 23,000 firearms in the territory and more than 7,000 firearms licence holders. Around 14 per cent of licence holders are expected to be affected by the proposed new firearm ownership limits.
Compensation schedule and business support
A fixed price schedule will apply to individual licence holders who return firearms exceeding the new legal limits in exchange for financial compensation.
From early 2027, eligible owners of higher-value firearms will be able to claim compensation, with firearms valued above $3,000 eligible for compensation capped at $10,000 per firearm.
The scheme, which has not yet been adopted by some states or territories, will also provide financial assistance to help businesses and industry adjust to the reforms.
Eligible businesses and firearm dealers will be offered grants of up to $25,000, as well as one-off licence fee relief worth $500 over two years per dealer.
Ministers pledge stronger community safety
In a statement, Chief Minister Barr said the agreement with the federal government would strengthen community safety and support effective firearm reforms across the territory.
"Reducing the number of high-risk firearms in circulation is a sensible and practical measure to help keep Canberrans safer," he said, according to ABC News.
"The ACT has some of the strongest firearms laws in the country and this agreement supports our ongoing efforts to further reduce the risk of firearms falling into the wrong hands."
On Saturday morning, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke praised the new agreement met between the Commonwealth and the ACT government.
"We know that most firearms, the overwhelming majority of firearms, are held by good citizens who will never use them for an improper purpose," Burke told reporters.
"But there were concerns from the Australian people as to how individuals such as those at Bondi that day had the number of firearms that they'd been licensed with, had been approved to get firearms at all, and similarly, the issue of the particular firearms that they held."
"We've designed the buyback to make sure that it can match the different way that different jurisdictions are dealing with this," Burke added.
Burke noted that the ACT's geographic proximity to New South Wales means the overall efficacy of the scheme will be improved now that both jurisdictions have joined the deal.
