Gun buyback supported, but no caps

The Tasmanian Government has announced it will take part in the national gun-buy back, but won't implement caps on the amount of firearms a single person can own.

The Tasmanian Government's participation in the gun buy-back is part of a broader suite of changes to gun laws announced today following the Bondi terorrist attack last year.

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

The changes are:

• 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.  

“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 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.

“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.”