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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 5 Hansard (14 May) . . Page.. 1225 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

such major sporting events as the Commonwealth Games, Olympic Games or world championships; recreational shooters or hunters who produce proof of permission from a landowner; persons with an occupational requirement, for example, primary producers, other rural purposes, security employees and professional shooters for nominated purposes; bona fide collectors of lawful firearms; and persons having other limited purposes approved under legislation by ministerial approval, for example, film production. Personal protection will not be a valid reason for having a firearms licence.

In the case of collections, the following minimum standards were agreed upon for determining the bona fides of collectors: The firearms should be of, or above, a defined age; firearms manufactured since 1 January 1946 - post-Second World War - must be rendered inoperable; collectors will be prohibited from possessing ammunition for a collection firearm; no prohibited firearm can be included in a collection; any attempt to restore firearms to useable condition will be a serious criminal offence; and any operating firearm, that is, pre-1946, will be required to be kept under the same conditions as any other similar operating firearm with respect to storage and safety, for example. All States and Territories will establish a uniform system of testing applicants to determine a genuine need for that particular firearm. In that respect, the ACT has much to contribute in determining the uniform criteria. Such a system has been operating here for some time.

The fourth matter is basic licence requirements. In addition to the genuine need criteria about which I just spoke, applicants for a licence will need to demonstrate some key criteria: Be aged 18 or over; be a fit and proper person; be able to prove identity using the 100-point identification system, similar to that used by banks for the opening of new accounts; and undertake adequate safety training. It was also agreed that all jurisdictions will move to photographic licences, which will be valid for not more than five years, be endorsed with the category of firearm for which the licence is issued, and be issued after a minimum waiting period of 28 days. I remind members that only last month the ACT Assembly passed amendments to the Weapons Act to facilitate photographic licences. My department, the Australian Federal Police and the Department of Urban Services are seeking to expedite the issuing of such licences.

The meeting also agreed on certain conditions upon which licences may be withdrawn, such as failure to comply with adequate storage requirements. Some limited mutual recognition of licences will be permitted, but such periods will be limited to three months for people who move to another State or Territory, and seven days if they have a licence for the use of a semiautomatic weapon or handgun. Within this scheme, there will be recognition for visiting shooters.

A new licensing category system will be enacted across all jurisdictions. There are five types of weapons categories. They are category A, air rifles, rim-fire rifles, excluding self-loading, single- and double-barrel shotguns; category B, muzzle-loading firearms, single-shot, double-barrel and repeating centre-fire rifles, and break-action shotguns and rifle combinations; category C - this is the category which is prohibited except for occupational purposes - semiautomatic rim-fire rifles with a magazine capacity no greater than 10 rounds, semiautomatic shotguns with a magazine capacity no greater than five rounds, and pump-action shotguns with a magazine capacity no greater than five rounds; category D, prohibited except for official purposes, which is self-loading centre-fire rifles designed or adapted for military purposes or a firearm which substantially

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