Service to mark 30th anniversary of Port Arthur tragedy

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the Port Arthur tragedy.

On April 28, 1996, 35 people died, and 24 people were injured during a massacre.

To mark the anniversary, a service will take place at the Port Arthur Historic Site.

The service will begin at 1pm.

Following the tragedy, the government introduced sweeping gun law reforms.

However, lobby group Gun Control Australia is concerned that firearm laws are at risk of being undermined.

“Most Australians believe our gun laws are among the strongest in the world – and they were,” said Gun Control Australia Vice President Roland Browne. 

“But the reality today is more uneven than people realise. Firearms capable of mass harm are still legally available in some parts of Australia, and our laws are no longer nationally consistent.”

Gun Control Australia is calling for renewed national leadership to close key gaps in the system, including: 

• Consistent restrictions on high-powered, rapid-fire firearms capable of mass shootings 

• Reasonable limits on the number of firearms an individual can own 

• A return to a strong, nationally coordinated approach to gun safety 

• A renewed effort to introduce the national registration system promised in 1996

“Historically, Australia has acted on gun laws after tragedy,” Mr Browne said. 

“The lesson of Port Arthur is that we shouldn’t wait.

“We should act before the next tragedy, not after it.”