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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 9 Hansard (29 August) . . Page.. 2768 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

and became the first jurisdiction to do so. Resolution 2 resolved that an effective nationwide registration scheme for all firearms be established and that links be provided between jurisdictions through the national exchange of police information (NEPI) network. Resolution 3 requires all applicants for a licence to establish a genuine reason for owning, possessing or using a firearm and also a special need for categories B, C, D and H firearms.

Resolution 4 provided for basic standard licence requirements and licence categories to be established. Those common licence categories for particular firearms will be: Category A, air rifles, rim-fire rifles, excluding self-loading ones, 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, which 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, the category for weapons prohibited except for official purposes, self-loading centre-fire rifles designed or adapted for military purposes or a firearm which substantially duplicates those rifles in design, function or appearance, non-military style self-loading centre-fire rifles with either an integral or detachable magazine, self-loading shotguns with either an integral or detachable magazine, and pump-action shotguns with a capacity of more than five rounds, self-loading rim-fire rifles with a magazine capacity greater than 10 rounds; and category H, the restricted category, all handguns, including air pistols. These categories are reflected in Schedule 2 of the Bill that I have just presented.

Resolution 5 provided for standard safety training to be developed and for that training to be a requirement for all new licence applicants. Resolution 6 required that common agreed grounds for licence refusal or cancellation and seizure of firearms would be enacted. Resolution 7 required that permits be required for acquisition of every firearm and that a 28-day cooling-off period would apply in respect of each acquisition. Resolution 8 required minimum consistent standards for security and storage of firearms. Resolution 9 provided for firearms sales to be made only by or through licensed firearms dealers, that all sales be recorded and that all dealers be required to submit regular reports. Resolution 10 required controls on mail order sales, the advertising of firearms for sale and the commercial transport of firearms and ammunition. Resolution 11 concerned compensation issues associated with the buy-back scheme.

At the July meeting, Police Ministers addressed a range of outstanding matters arising from those resolutions and agreed to a number of other more minor matters. A national cessation date for the buy-back scheme of 30 September 1997, with the ability for jurisdictions to end the amnesties before that date if they wished, was also agreed. The ACT's amnesty is scheduled to conclude on 17 May 1997, and I do not propose at this time to extend the ACT's amnesty. The principal concern is to send to those who own firearms which are now prohibited a message that these weapons are to be surrendered. Mutual recognition of firearms licences will allow bona fide interstate competition shooters to pursue their sport in other jurisdictions.

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