Cootamundra MP Steph Cooke, seen here at the Cowra Gun Club, has called on the NSW Government to rethink its buyback scheme. Photo: Steph Cooke/Facebook.
Riverina firearm owners and political leaders have hit out at the Federal and NSW governments’ new gun buyback, accusing Labor of forcing law-abiding shooters to hand over firearms for less than they are worth while wasting taxpayers’ money on a scheme they say won’t improve community safety.
The scheme follows the deadly antisemitic terrorist attack at Bondi Beach late last year, which killed 15 people and prompted governments to tighten gun laws and introduce a national firearms buyback.
Up to 274,000 registered firearms across NSW could be affected by new ownership limits and firearm reclassifications, with the government beginning to buy back guns on 2 November.
Griffith Sporting Shooters Association president Warren Brown said the scheme would not make communities safer.
“It’s just a Labor Party Gun grab,” he said.
“It’s placing the blame on law-abiding firearm users who are completely innocent, instead of looking at immigration vetting and the administration of the NSW Firearms Registry,” he said.
“We have laws in place – had they been followed, this tragedy never would have happened.”
New NSW laws generally limit individual licence holders to 10 firearms, depending on their genuine reason for owning them. They also prohibit some firearms, including belt-fed firearms, while other types have been moved into more restricted categories.
Those affected can surrender eligible firearms to the government in return for compensation.
Under the first phase of the buyback, the government will pay fixed amounts including $600 for a rimfire rifle, $1000 for a centrefire rifle and $650 for a single-barrel shotgun.
A second phase, beginning in early 2027, will provide compensation for eligible higher-value firearms priced at more than $3000, capped at $10,000 per firearm.
Mr Brown, 82, has been a sporting shooter for more than six decades and has built up an extensive firearms collection.
He said he would now have to surrender many of his firearms and said many gun owners will be left out of pocket.
“The government will pay $650 for a single-barrelled shotgun. That might be what you pay for a cheaper model, but a lot of people would’ve paid a lot more than that.
“They’ll be a maximum price paid of $10,000, but I know colleagues in Griffith who have shotguns worth up to $30,000.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended the reforms, saying they were necessary to improve community safety.
“We must do everything we can to make sure the antisemitic terrorist attack in Bondi doesn’t happen again. That includes meaningful nationwide gun reform,” Mr Albanese said.
“I thank the NSW Government for their collaboration as we work to take guns off our streets in order to better protect Australians.”
But Mr Brown said the hundreds of millions being spent on the buybacks could be better directed.
“It’s a total waste of money. They should spend that money on tackling illegal crime and unregistered firearms,” he said.
“The pollies say they want to take guns ‘off the street’. Our guns aren’t on the streets, they’re safely locked up.
“When was the last time you heard about an accident at a shooting club? But every second night, you hear about someone in Melbourne or Sydney being shot by a criminal. These laws will do nothing to prevent that.”
Cam Croke is another law-abiding firearm user who may be affected. Photo: supplied.
NSW and the Commonwealth will split the cost of the buyback 50:50, with the Commonwealth funding the destruction of surrendered firearms.
The government has not yet released a total cost estimate for the scheme.
Cootamundra Nationals MP Steph Cooke said she also opposed it.
“I stand with the thousands of licensed firearms owners across the Cootamundra electorate and the dealers who support them,” she said.
“They include farmers, sporting and recreational shooters, hunters, pest controllers, small business owners and employees who have followed the law, yet are being punished through no fault of their own.
“I believe the right thing to do is reverse Labor’s rushed and defective December 2025 firearms laws and return to the strict, workable legislative framework NSW had before Bondi. I will keep fighting for that.”
The scheme will also provide grants of up to $25,000 to eligible firearms businesses and dealers to help them adjust to the new laws.
