Lawmakers in New South Wales on Wednesday approved far-reaching laws restricting gun ownership and giving authorities the power to ban protests, AFP reported.
The move follows the Hanukkah massacre on Bondi Beach last week, in which 15 people were murdered.
Facing political pressure after the massacre, both state and federal governments have announced plans to tighten gun laws and establish a broad hate speech ban.
The government of New South Wales - where the attack occurred - recalled parliament to introduce what it described as the “toughest firearm reforms in the country.”
The reforms passed the New South Wales upper house early by a vote of 18 to eight and are expected to be ratified by the Lower House later in the day, according to public broadcaster ABC.
Under the new law, individuals will be limited to owning four firearms, or up to ten for exempted individuals such as farmers. Authorities will also gain the power to ban protests for up to three months following a terrorist incident.
State Premier Chris Minns said the laws will “keep the people of New South Wales safe.”
“Whether that’s on gun regulation in New South Wales, or secondly, changes to protest, in order to lower the temperature in Sydney,” he told reporters.
At the federal level, the government announced plans for new laws creating an aggravated offense for hate preaching, penalties for those attempting to radicalize minors, and a registry of designated extremist groups it will become illegal to join.
Authorities plan to pay gun owners to surrender “surplus, newly banned and illegal firearms” in what would be Australia’s largest gun buyback since 1996, when a shooter killed 35 people in Port Arthur.
New police documents have revealed fresh details about the Bondi attack’s preparation. The two terrorists allegedly conducted “firearms training” in rural New South Wales and “meticulously planned” the assault “for many months.”
The pair also recorded a video in October railing against “Zionists” before a flag of the Islamic State jihadist group, outlining their motivations, police said. They also made a nighttime reconnaissance trip to Bondi Beach in the days before the killings.