Page 3922 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 1 December 2021
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they are not appropriately authorised to police. Having all firearms in the community registered promotes transparency and oversight, to be confident that the conditions and responsibilities of the firearms licensing regime are being adhered to.
The ACT has had temporary amnesties in the past, which have removed a large number of unregistered firearms from the community. In the 2017 temporary amnesty, 699 firearms and 60 firearm parts were surrendered. Since the declaration of the most recent temporary amnesty in July 2021, 443 firearms, 55 firearm parts and 146 kilograms of ammunition have been surrendered.
By enshrining a permanent amnesty in our legislation, the ACT will join other states and territories in the permanent National Firearms Amnesty, which commenced on 1 July 2021, and will secure the community safety protections delivered under previous temporary amnesties into the future. A permanent firearms amnesty is an effective public safety measure that reduces the number of guns in the Canberra community, therefore minimising the risk of harm and loss of life caused by misuse of firearms and gun violence.
The bill also makes complementary amendments to allow ACT Policing to destroy and dispose of surrendered firearms in certain circumstances, without needing to seek a court order. These changes are aimed at minimising the administrative burden on our courts and law enforcement agency, in the context of a permanent amnesty.
Finally, this bill introduces new, stricter safe-storage requirements for category H firearms held by security companies by amending the Firearms Act 1996 and Firearms Regulation 2008. Appropriately licensed security companies and their employees may possess firearms, including handguns, in the course of their work. Security companies are highly visible in the community, and their firearms could potentially be more susceptible to attempted theft than other guns possessed by private citizens. Applying stricter storage standards for handguns held by security companies will minimise risks of these firearms falling into the hands of unlicensed people with criminal intent. The additional storage conditions that are imposed vary according to the number of firearms that the security organisation is licensed to hold, with the requirements becoming more stringent when more firearms are held.
These new standards largely replicate the requirements under section 81 of the Firearms Regulations 2017 in New South Wales, which is advantageous in achieving cross-jurisdictional consistency for organisations conducting business across New South Wales and ACT.
Our firearms laws are already robust, but these reforms make further improvements to the safety of the whole Canberra community and reduce everyone’s risk of becoming a victim of gun-related accidents or crimes. The proposed amendments are the result of consultation with relevant stakeholders affected by the proposals. Input from stakeholders has informed the amendments proposed in this bill, and I wish to take this opportunity to thank stakeholders for their contributions.
The government is committed to building safer communities in Canberra, and amendments in this bill contribute to this commitment. I commend the bill to the Assembly.
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