A COMMITTEE formed to provide firearms advice to the Police Minister is stacked with dealers, sporting shooters and agricultural groups with a strong interest in supporting the use of firearms.

No gun control advocate is on the 12-member advisory group.

Gun Control Australia spokesman Roland Browne said the Tasmanian Firearms Consultative Committee was a missed opportunity and represented the shooting interest groups, not the broader community.

It comes as concerns grow over the level of gun-related crime in Tasmania.

Mr Browne said he had considered joining the committee until he found out about confidentiality agreements.

"I wasn't prepared to tie myself in to confidentiality clauses as an advocate for gun control, it would be a conflict of interest," he said.

Mr Browne said he would have liked to have seen groups on the committee that had been impacted by firearms misuse.

"Such as public health officials, medical practitioners, criminologists from the university, animal rights activists, women's rights groups and even DIER because they must spend a lot of money replacing road signs that have been defaced by shooters," he said.

Tasmania Police Operations Support Commander Glenn Frame said the committee would provide feedback to the Minister through the Commissioner of Police.

Expressions of interest for the group were called via an advertisement in the Mercury in January. Its make-up was announced on Monday.

Mr Frame said nominations were considered and the membership was agreed after consultation with Police Minister David O'Byrne.

The second paragraph of the expressions of interest notice read:

"To ensure the Tasmanian community has input and is consulted on firearms-related matters, the Commissioner of Police is inviting expressions of interest from community groups and organisations that have a particular interest in firearm regulation and control."

Mr Frame said the committee was briefed by the Police Minister recently and would hold its first meeting soon, chaired by Tasmania Police.

A number of the stakeholders on the committee made submissions on the proposed Firearms Act amendments during the public consultation period in December 2010. The amendments are expected to be tabled in parliament next week.

"The committee has been provided with the opportunity to examine the proposed amendments in the coming weeks," Mr Frame said.

John Green, from the Arms Collector's Guild of Tasmania and the Australian Cartridge Collectors Association, is on the committee.

"I was a member of the original advisory group formed back in 2000, but this new group is now under the Minister and only has three of the original members," Mr Green said.

Committee member Peter Darke, from the Tasmanian Field and Game Association, said he was satisfied with the proposed amendments.

"Overall we're happy with it, I can't see the shooters being penalised too much," Mr Darke said.

"We didn't get everything we asked for but I don't see anything wrong with what's there."

Tasmanian Firearms Consultative Committee: Adam Main, Tasmanian Salmonoid Growers Association; Wayne Johnston, Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association; John Wise, Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (Tasmania); Gilbert Walker, Tasmanian Rifle Association; Matthew Allen, Tasmanian Deer Advisory Committee; Donald Jones, independent adviser (shooting coach); Wayne Moore, independent adviser (former police inspector); Cheryl Arnol, Tasmanian Clay Target Association; Ron Tunks, Firearms Dealers; Greg Allender, Windfall/Plains Game Management; John Green, Arms Collector's Guild of Tasmania and the Australian Cartridge Collectors Association; Peter Darke, Tasmanian Field and Game Association.

Originally published as Shooters dominate advisory committee