Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 9 Hansard (29 August) . . Page.. 2769 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

However, hunters seeking to hunt in another jurisdiction will require the permission of a landowner in that jurisdiction. While the ACT is happy to participate in a mutual recognition scheme with other jurisdictions, we will not do so at a cost to our own minimum standards. The ACT, for example, will not recognise licences in this jurisdiction which will not otherwise be issued to people in the ACT.

A range of conditions for firearms and ammunition collectors to enable bona fide collectors to maintain those collections will also be allowed. Official museums, such as the Australian War Memorial, will not be subject to the requirements of private collectors, but private museums and collections will have to meet these requirements. It is in the area of collections that the ACT will depart from the national scheme slightly. The national scheme requires that category C firearms in collections be rendered temporarily inoperable, while category D firearms be rendered permanently inoperable. Mr Speaker, this Bill provides for a requirement in the ACT that category C and D firearms in a collection be rendered permanently inoperable and that all firearms be rendered incapable of firing. It will be an offence to discharge a firearm authorised for collection purposes. There will be a very limited category of heirloom firearm licences requiring proof of inheritance and limited to a single firearm or matched pair. Such firearms must be rendered permanently inoperable.

Mr Speaker, one other area where the ACT will differ from the national scheme slightly is in the area of primary producers and their access to category C and D firearms. The national scheme will allow primary producers with very large rural properties to apply for more than one licence for category C firearms and in very limited circumstances to apply for category D licences for the purposes of culling large feral animals or in respect of the brucellosis and tuberculosis eradication campaign. Mr Speaker, these provisions obviously will not apply in the ACT. The practice of crimping, or remanufacturing, whereby self-loading firearms are modified to enable only two bullets to be fired, will not be permitted. Advice from the Australian Army is that the practice is reversible, and it will not be permitted under ACT law.

As members will be aware, compensation will be paid for prohibited firearms surrendered during the amnesty, whether held legally or illegally. The value of these firearms for compensation purposes is based on the nationally agreed list of value. I table a copy of the final list prepared by the Commonwealth. The list is based on the value of each firearm as at March 1996 and has been developed by an expert group convened by the Commonwealth. I understand that the values are derived in the main from dealers' catalogues and published selling prices. I am sure members will agree that the values represent fair compensation for those firearms overall. Jurisdictions are to make the necessary arrangements for payment and then seek reimbursement from the Commonwealth. The payment of compensation is well under way in the ACT. Firearms dealers have been paid compensation for their firearms and, in most cases, related accoutrements. Dealers are also entitled to compensation for loss of business caused by the new firearms provisions where that loss of business is valued using financial records of the business.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .