Victoria Supports Firearms Law Overhaul but Rejects Gun Cap

The Victorian government has accepted all but one recommendation from a review of the state’s firearms laws, rejecting only a proposal to reduce the number of legally owned firearms.

The Rapid Review of Victoria’s Firearms Laws, conducted by former Police Commissioner Ken Lay, made 16 recommendations in the wake of the Bondi shooting in December 2025, which resulted in the deaths of 15 people at a Jewish Hannukah celebration.

The first recommendation in the report suggested limiting the number of legally owned firearms to four per licence holder.

There is currently no limit on how many firearms a legal gun owner may possess in Victoria.

The adopted recommendations include reclassifying higher-risk firearms to better account for new technologies, restricting licence eligibility to Australian citizens and permanent resident New Zealanders, and strengthening oversight across the full firearm licence lifecycle.

The reforms also target illegal gun activity, with measures to crack down on illicit firearms trafficking and transport, tighten rules around imitation firearms, and expand the use of criminal intelligence in firearms licensing and prohibition decisions.

The Victorian government said it backed improvements to state and national information-sharing systems, designed to support better risk-based decisions, as well as broader reforms to improve the evidence base for firearms policy, advisory governance and public communication.

There will be no state gun buy-back scheme, despite calls from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for states and territories to adopt such a measure.

In submitting his report (pdf) to the government, Lay noted that in the wake of the Bondi massacre, Victorians wanted assurance that their government was doing everything within reason to keep them safe, but there was also a fine line to navigate.

Lay said he took into account discussions with sports shooters, hunters and victim advocates calling for greater gun controls.

“The distance between these perspectives—in understanding, assumptions and lived experience —is far wider than many people appreciate,” he said.

“Many people asked why anyone would need more than one firearm. Others could not understand why that question needed asking.

“This review seeks to reflect those differing views with respect and rigour.”

The state government is set to expediate some measures put forth in the report, including updating existing firearms classifications, strengthening police powers, citizenship requirements, tougher laws on illicit firearms and better use of intelligence in licensing reviews and appeals.

“The Victorian government will always closely consider advice from Victoria Police to ensure our firearm laws keep Victorians safe and are responsive to new threats,” it said.

Union Backs Reforms

In a statement, the Australian Recreation Union said the government’s response had taken shooting and farming groups’ input into account.

“Victoria has around 283,000 licence holders and nearly one million registered firearms—the vast majority used responsibly for primary production, pest control on properties, and sport,” the group said.

“The response appears measured—no broad category bans or mass restrictions on existing compliant owners, preserving practical access for legitimate rural needs.

“This strikes a more balanced, evidence-based approach than some other jurisdictions while still addressing public safety.”