Dates for firearm buyback announced, Forbes to start 1 December

Firearms owners needing to surrender firearms under legal reform will be able to do that at Forbes police station from December. The National Gun Buyback Scheme in NSW begins on 2 November, with the NSW Government saying it will give eligible firearms licence holders a clear and safe pathway to surrender surplus and reclassified firearms and receive compensation under a fixed price schedule. The buyback forms part of the government’s broader firearms reforms focused on strengthening gun laws, reducing the number of firearms in circulation and keeping the community safe following the antisemitic terror attack at Bondi Beach. Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley described the buyback as a significant undertaking in public safety. “NSW Police across the state are well placed and trained to safely and securely deal with the surrender and destruction of firearms,” she said. “I ask eligible licence holders to follow the instructions being sent out today and I thank the NSW Police for their efforts in implementing this scheme and keeping us safe.” The reforms include: Increased compliance for gun owners through mandatory safe storage checks before a permit to acquire a firearm is issued; Requiring licence holders to be a member of an approved gun club; Requiring all gun clubs to use the Gun Safe online platform instead of relying on paper systems; Strengthened identity proofing processes; Reducing the licence period from five to two years; Removing the NCAT appeal pathway for most licensing decisions; Reclassifying some types of guns; and Capping the number of guns an individual can own. Licence holders with the genuine reason of recreational hunting / vermin control are limited to four guns per licence holder. Those with a genuine reason of sport/target shooting, vertebrate pest animal control, business or employment, primary production, or animal welfare, are limited to 10 guns per licence holder. The NSW Government has invested $42.8 million into the NSW Firearms Registry, including additional staff and system upgrades, to support implementation of the reforms. Approximately 18 per cent of licence holders will be eligible to participate in the Buyback Scheme in NSW and up to 274,000 firearms could be returned in NSW under the Scheme. Eligible licence holders will receive correspondence from the NSW Firearms Registry, outlining the booking process. Eligible licence holders must make a booking via the Gun Safe portal - walk-ins to surrender at police stations will not be accepted. Dubbo is in the first group of police stations to accept surrenders from Monday, Forbes and Parkes are in the second group which will accept bookings from Tuesday 1 December. The NSW Government will also consult on limited and exceptional circumstances where certain types of licence holders can apply to the Commissioner of Police for additional firearms above the 10 gun limit. Under this draft proposal, the only licence holders who may be eligible to apply for additional firearms through this process are licence holders with the genuine reason of sport/target shooting; vertebrate pest animal control; or business/employment, and they will have to explain to NSW Police the genuine need for each additional firearm over the cap. The NSW Police Force will shortly be undertaking targeted consultation on the Regulation that enables that application process. The government advises the National Gun Buyback Scheme in NSW will be open for 12 months. Anyone who is uncertain how to participate should visit National Gun Buyback Scheme - NSW Police Public Site or call the Gun Buyback number on 1800 131 555 (between Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm).