The NSW Police Commissioner has been granted new powers to veto any state resident from acquiring a gun permit if there are terrorism-related concerns. Under the new measures, applicants must not be residing or associating with anyone who has been investigated for terrorism-related offences, and the Commissioner must be satisfied the applicant has never been investigated by federal or state law enforcement or intelligence agencies for such offences. NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley stated that the changes were about public safety and not an assault on gun ownership, noting that owning a firearm is a privilege, not a right. She added that the changes aim to reduce the number of firearms in the community, with funding being boosted for the NSW Gun Registry to hire more staff and upgrade its systems.

The regulatory changes follow a deadly terror attack on December 14 at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach, where gunmen Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram killed people. Accounts differ regarding the number of fatalities, with some sources reporting 15 people were killed, while others report 10. The Royal Commission heard that two gunmen shot 11 people within 30 seconds of opening fire, killing 10 of them. According to the Guardian, there were four police officers at the Bondi Beach event when the attack began, and NSW Police declined to provide a static police presence for the entirety of the Hanukah by the Sea event, instead allocating a mobile tasking.