It emphasised the need for New Zealand to develop firearms policies tailored to its unique context
The Sporting Shooters Association of New Zealand (SSANZ) has raised concerns about proposals to emulate Australia’s firearms laws, following the release of the Ministry of Justice's latest Arms Act discussion document.
The organisation has emphasised the need for New Zealand to develop firearms policies tailored to its unique context rather than adopting what it describes as Australia’s fragmented and inconsistent regulatory system.
Thomas Hemphill, president of SSANZ, stated that while comparative studies can inform policy, Australia’s post-1996 National Firearms Agreement demonstrates significant flaws. “New Zealand deserves mature and objective discussions that prioritize effective solutions over replication and anti-gun politicisation,” Hemphill said.
Australia’s firearms regulations operate under a mix of state and federal laws, resulting in inconsistencies and enforcement challenges. SSANZ highlighted several examples from Australian states to demonstrate the system’s limitations. In New South Wales, so-called “appearance laws” ban firearms based on cosmetic features, a measure SSANZ claims proved ineffective in pre-2019 New Zealand. In Queensland, the Wiemballa shootings exposed weaknesses in license verification and tracking across state borders, with an offender circumventing oversight mechanisms to obtain ammunition and carry out the attacks.
Other examples include privacy breaches in Western Australia, where police mistakenly released firearms registry data, including addresses of license holders. This led to a series of targeted home invasions, robberies, and serious assaults, which SSANZ characterised as a breach of trust and a cautionary tale for New Zealand.
SSANZ also pointed to rushed law changes in Tasmania and Western Australia that created legal uncertainty and compliance burdens, along with underreported shootings in the Northern Territory that have highlighted issues with black-market firearms.
Despite these criticisms, SSANZ acknowledged that some Australian initiatives, such as a permanent firearms amnesty, could be beneficial if adapted to New Zealand. “We support meaningful consultation with stakeholders and the adoption of proven measures, but wholesale adoption of Australia’s laws would be a mistake,” Hemphill added.
The association called for a measured, evidence-based approach to firearms policy in New Zealand, tailored to the country’s needs rather than importing what it described as an “incoherent pick-and-mix” of regulations from Australia.
