Victoria
Federal government to fund majority of ACT gun buyback scheme
The federal government will cover most of the cost for the Australian Capital Territory's participation in the national gun buyback scheme.
The federal government has agreed to fund the majority of the Australian Capital Territory's gun buyback scheme, resolving a period of negotiation between the two governments over how the program would be financed.
According to a wire report, the ACT government had committed to participating in the national gun buyback scheme in the wake of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack. Despite this early policy commitment, the physical rollout of the scheme in the territory had been delayed while officials negotiated the financial details with their federal counterparts.
The resolution of these talks means the Commonwealth will now shoulder the bulk of the costs associated with the buyback within the territory. However, the exact percentage of the federal contribution has not been disclosed, and the total estimated cost of the buyback within the ACT remains unconfirmed.
It is also not yet clear how the funding will be administered or what the specific timeline will be for ACT residents to surrender firearms under the scheme. The ACT government has not yet released information regarding the locations of collection points, the types of firearms eligible for compensation, or the precise rates that will be offered to gun owners.
The agreement marks a key step in coordinating the territory's response with the broader national firearms policy initiated after the Bondi Beach attack. With the funding framework now established, attention will turn to the logistical challenges of administering the buyback program across the territory.
Observers will now look to see when the ACT government announces the official start date and specific guidelines for the territory's gun buyback.
This report draws on original reporting by Wire report.
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