Council of Licenced Firearms Owners (COLFO) says the announcement today of three changes to the Arms Bill should be the start of a large-scale rewrite, or even eventual abandonment.

The Finance and Expenditure Select Committee, which has faced almost total opposition to the Arms Bill in its public hearings, has announced it intends to fix three of the most glaring issues; allowing owners not to update a firearm registry if a change in location is less than 30 days, providing a notice period before Police can inspect where an owner is keeping the firearm, and excluding small and non-exclusive parts from a registry.

Spokesperson Nicole McKee said the rules being changed were about some of the most glaring issues.

“It’s a relief that the Committee has picked up on some of the practical issues with the draft they were given.

“The drafting illustrated a lack of understanding of practical implications for firearms owners trying to remain compliant, contributing to a breakdown in the relationship between Police and owners.

McKee said the changes would have a flow-on effect to other parts of the Bill.

“The announcements will require a lot of word changes through-out the Bill, and they cannot be changed without affecting other parts of the Bill. The effect of these acknowledgements will ripple throughout this draft.”

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