Riverina gun club members and Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke are rallying for more rural input on gun reform. Photo: Supplied.
Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke has blasted new state and federal legislation targeting gun control and reform.
Ms Cooke labelled the new legislation as rushed and distressing, stating it had failed to consider rural communities and would only place financial stress on those who required firearms.
She specifically highlighted limiting the number of firearms a person could register, shortened time between licence renewals and forced club registrations as major points of contention.
“This firearms legislation is completely impractical for effective pest management, and the future of sport shooting in the state of NSW,” Ms Cooke said.
“Without regulations that reflect the realities of our rural communities, our volunteer gun clubs will face an impossible administrative burden, our licence holders will be forced to pay more for less, and our state’s biosecurity will be jeopardised.”
Ms Cooke joined a roundtable in Junee, where she met with representatives of Riverina gun clubs to further understand concerns of local gun owners.
“These are the types of discussions that members of the NSW Government should be having to ensure the regulations are actually fit for purpose,” Ms Cooke said.
“No matter what your opinion is about firearms ownership, the new legislation will fail to work in practice unless the regulations address the glaring issues being raised by gun clubs and firearms owners.”
Following the roundtable, Ms Cooke expressed her opposition to changing the number of firearms a person could own.
“The firearms cap does not account for licence holders who require firearms for primary production, hunting, and/or competition,” Ms Cooke said.
“If you add in that some firearms owners also have private, state and federal government contracts, this means some licensed shooters have five or even six genuine reasons, all of which require additional firearms.
“While we have heard of a potential exemption to the rules for elite shooters, how can someone train to become an ‘elite’ athlete if they can’t access the equipment they need?”
Ms Cooke also questioned the purpose behind forcing club registrations and shorter licence renewal periods.
“The laws fail to consider the tyranny of distance faced by primary producers who may live hours away from the nearest club, and the cost burden associated with participating in the sport, which they may have no interest in,” she said.
“On top of that, gun clubs are already experiencing an influx of membership inquiries, and they’re struggling to see how they can organise enough shoots to meet everyone’s participation requirements.
“At the very least, the regulations must not restrict firearms owners to a 10-gun cap if they have multiple, genuine reasons listed on their licence.
“The new two-year renewal requirement will also demand a greater investment in the NSW Firearms Registry, which means taking away funds from other areas of state importance.
“NSW can literally not afford the government introducing these new laws until it can provide a transparent plan about how it intends to pay for them.”
