Firearms Amendment Bill 2026

The Bondi terrorist attack in December 2025, together with other fatal shootings in recent years, has brought about urgent discussions by National Cabinet on whether the national firearms regulatory framework is fulfilling its goal. This includes national arrangements such as the National Firearms Agreement, established in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, as well as state and territory regulatory systems. The National Cabinet agreed to a number of resolutions calling for reform in each jurisdiction, and in early 2026 Victoria commissioned its own rapid review of firearms laws.

In response to that review, the Victorian Government agreed to all but one of the review’s recommendations for strengthening firearms laws. The Firearms Amendment Bill 2026 has been introduced by Minister for Police Anthony Carbines and seeks to implement four of these recommendations, including: updates to firearms reclassification processes; new citizenship requirements; provisions and penalties addressing firearms trafficking and transport; and updates to background check processes.

This Bill Brief provides context for the reforms, as well as outlining the Bill’s provisions. Amid broader concerns that the national approach to firearms regulation is fracturing, a particular point of debate has been the Victorian Government’s decision not to implement a cap on how many firearms an individual licence holder may own. The paper details various stakeholder responses, an inter-jurisdictional comparison of recent firearms reform, and a snapshot of firearms ownership and regulation in Victoria. It is not intended to provide legal advice or legislative interpretation, nor is it an exhaustive account of the Bill.