New statistics have revealed there are tens of thousands of guns registered across the Sydney region.

Almost one million weapons are now registered in New South Wales.

Over 5300 guns are registered with police in Campbelltown – five for every licence.

In Chester Hill near Bankstown, there are approximately 4500 guns, while there are 4600 in neighbouring Liverpool.

More than 4600 are registered in Seven Hills and Blacktown, compared to 1000 in Sydney CBD.

Curl Curl and Dee Why on the Northern Beaches host a total of 1200 registered firearms.

NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge believes the widespread availability of such weapons serve as a temptation to criminals.

“They can knock over an ordinary house and get access to a bunch of firearms, and that makes none of us safe,” he said.

Gun enthusiasts argue gun theft can be prevented by the use of well-secured gun safes.

Police nonetheless say it is the unregistered guns – either shipped from overseas, constructed at home or not handed in during the gun amnesties in 2001, 2003 and 2009 – which worry them the most.

Gun owners who have been issued with licences are subjected criminal checks and must register for permits for individual firearms, whereas unregistered owners bypass these safeguards entirely.

Man Haron Monis, the man responsible for the Lindt Café siege in Martin Place, was using an unregistered gun at the time of the attack.

Despite the continued risk, police have pointed to one positive trend – rates of gun-related crime are on the decline.