Keeping Tasmanians Safe

Jeremy Rockliff, Premier
Felix Ellis, Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management

The Tasmanian Government will strengthen penalties to crackdown on criminals in possession of illegal firearms and implement a nation-leading buyback, as part of a suite of measures and evidence-based reforms.

Following the tragedy of the Bondi terror attack, our Liberal Government has taken a strong and considered approach to reforms.

Tasmanian reforms:

• Introduce stronger penalties for theft and possession of stolen firearms;

• Additional sharing of intelligence information and associated background checks;

• Accelerating work on standing up the National Firearms Register;

• Establishing Australian citizenship as the default eligibility requirement for firearms licensing, with provisions for limited exemptions in defined circumstances, including for primary producers and citizens from prescribed countries such as New Zealand;

• Reclassification of straight pull and button/lever release (self-ejecting) centre-fire and shotgun firearms to the more restrictive Category C licence;

• Compensate firearm dealers for these reclassified firearms currently in stock;

• Nation-leading buyback to occur on reclassified firearms, with 1.5 times the value incentive payment to encourage surrender;

• Voluntary buyback at market value for any other legal firearm a licence holder wants to hand in; and

• There will be no caps imposed on individual firearms owners.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff said this reform will make Tasmania safer, while delivering on our commitment to respect law-abiding firearms owners including primary producers.

“These Tasmanian-specific reforms give police and the courts more powers to crackdown on criminals caught in possession of an illegal firearm,” Premier Rockliff said.

“We are reclassifying straight pull, button release (self-ejecting) centre fire and shotgun firearms to a Category C licence.

“As part of these changes, a nation-leading buyback will be established for straight pull and button release firearms, with incentive payments of 1.5 times the gun’s value to encourage their surrender.

“A voluntary buyback will also be open to any legal firearm a licence holder wants to surrender at market value.

“We have worked carefully to ensure these reforms do not impact the ability of law-abiding firearms owners to continue their work or recreation, while also increasing community safety.”

Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management, Felix Ellis, said the Government had listened to community feedback.

“Our focus has always been on keeping Tasmanians safe,” Minister Ellis said.

“Following the horrific events at Bondi, we immediately committed to the increased intelligence sharing and citizenship being a requirement for licence holders.

“We will also strengthen laws to crackdown on criminals in possessions of illegal firearms and the black-market trade.

“Our Government is making Tasmania safer with these strong and considered firearm reforms.

“We have made strong and considered decisions, and we will progress legislation through Parliament this year.”