news, local-news,

TASMANIA Police has released a new document clarifying the prohibition of certain guns based on military-style appearances. The Firearms Categorisation Guidelines, which were finalised on Thursday, add weight to a clause in the state’s Firearms Act that states that any firearms which substantially duplicate a machine gun or submachine gun cannot be given a licence. Now if a gun appears to look like a banned weapon upon application, it will be referred to a new Firearms Categorisation Assessment Committee, comprised of the Firearms Services manager, a divisional policy officer, a member of the police’s ballistics team, and an independent committee member with technical expertise in firearms. The Firearms Services manager will ultimately make the decision on whether a gun would be banned or not. If an applicant is not satisfied with the assessment, they can appeal to the Police Commissioner for reassessment within 28 days. Matthew Allen, from the Shooters and Fishers Party of Tasmania, questioned the independence of the panel given that three out of four of its members were police officers. He said gunowners understood that they would be given a list of guns that would be banned from the state under the new guidelines and not have to risk importing a gun only to be told that it wasn’t permissible. Mr Allen said he was happy to see that police had ditched a plan to ban guns with a pistol grip, fore-end shroud, and a detachable extended magazine shroud. Police Minister Rene Hidding in a letter to stakeholders said that the guidelines had been developed after “extensive feedback” from people in the firearms industry. “This should take out much of the previous subjectivity of one individual forming the view that a firearm might look vaguely ‘military’ due to the presence of one or two features,” he said. Assistant Commissioner Richard Cowling said while the Firearms Services manager made the decision whether a gun should be banned or not, he or she was entitled to seek advice and information from any appropriately qualified source. The finalisation of the new guidelines precedes more restrictive storage requirements that will be placed on Tasmanian gun owners this July. There were 250 guns stolen in the state in 2015-16, 258 guns stolen in 2014-15 and 231 guns stolen in 2013-14. This is compared to the theft of 125 guns in 2006-07.

https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/7GTjPNqfZtZ9DDgM7sVkPJ/d65774ee-62a3-4d26-a6ea-32002db796ea.JPG/r0_19_758_447_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg