Gun News Australia: the latest news for Aussie shooters

NCAT OUTCOME: We took NSW Police to NCAT to find out what Australia’s firearms regulators discuss behind closed doors — and while we lost the case, the published reasons still reveal something important.

The decision confirms that NSW Police relies on the Firearms and Weapons Policy Working Group when developing firearms policy, and that the group discusses what to regulate, who to regulate and how to regulate.

That matters because it points to a national round table of regulators who shape the rules that affect licensed shooters, clubs, hunting and the shooting sports — while shooters are not allowed to be at the table.

In this episode, we explain what the decision says, what it still leaves unanswered, and why this was never just a fight over paperwork.

We also thank those who backed the challenge, because whatever the outcome, the message was sent: shooters will fight, and we will use lawful processes where we can.  In particular, those who contributed to the legal bill through PayPal, GoFundMe & by being a Patreon member.

READ THE FULL DECISION HERE: Jenkins v Commissioner of Police, NSW Police Force [2026] NSWCATAD 292 – https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/nsw/NSWCATAD/2026/292.html

#GunNewsAustralia #NSWPolice #NCAT #GunPolicy #FirearmsLaw #ShootingSports #FOI #GovernmentTransparency

NSW LIBERALS have changed direction on key parts of the state’s firearms laws, proposing to freeze the buyback while a Commission of Inquiry reviews the legislation.

IN THIS EPISODE, we speak with Australian Hunting Podcast's Jason Selmes, about what the change could mean in practice for licensed shooters, including the proposal to remove firearm caps for primary producers and competition shooters who can demonstrate a genuine need.

We also examine the questions that remain unresolved: how the Liberal’s new “genuine and demonstrable need” proposal would actually work, what happens to the buyback during an inquiry, and whether the firearms registry, licensing system and intelligence-sharing arrangements need closer scrutiny.

The bigger issue is whether this represents a broader change in the way firearms policy is being discussed — and whether governments are properly listening to the people with practical knowledge of shooting.

Listen to the end for the parts of the policy that still need much more detail.

#GunNewsAustralia  #NSWPolitics  #FirearmsPolicy  #LicensedShooters  #ShootingSports  #GunLaws  #FirearmsLicensing  #Australia

LABOR'S GUN CAP was defeated in Tasmania's House of Assembly by the narrowest possible margin: 16 votes to 15.

But the argument has not disappeared. Labor's police spokesperson, Jen Butler, used the parliamentary debate to explain why Labor believes government should limit the number of firearms Tasmanians can own.

In this episode, you will hear Butler's key statements in her own words. We examine what Labor means by “excessive accumulation” of firearms (ie more than 5), and whether the claimed connection between firearm numbers and public safety is supported by any form of evidence.

The wider bill also affects citizenship requirements, firearm classifications, grandfathering and antique firearms.

But the cap vote carries the clearest political warning for shooters: one member of Parliament changed the result so you MUST make sure you vote for your sport.

Tasmanian shooters need to understand what was proposed, who supported it and what it means for voting at the next election.

SUBSCRIBE to Gun News Australia, SHARE this episode with another shooter and SUPPORT the work through Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/c/gunnewsaustralia/membership) so we can keep examining the evidence governments would rather avoid.

#Tasmania #FirearmCaps #GunNewsAustralia #LicensedShooters #FirearmLaw #JenButler #AustralianPolitics #ShootersFishersFarmers

AUSTRALIA WANTS Olympic shooting medals—but families and clubs are being left to finance the facilities athletes need to train on.

In our latest episode, we speak with two-time Olympian Aislin Jones and her father and coach, Dave Jones, about Victoria’s abandoned 2026 Commonwealth Games plans and the shotgun facilities that never became the promised sporting legacy.

Aislin explains the hours of travel and home simulation required to train for ISSF skeet. Dave outlines what Olympic trap infrastructure costs, why rural athletes are being left behind and why shooting families have had to invest in facilities that governments routinely provide for other sports.

We also trace the history of Victoria’s proposed state shooting centre, the Shooting Sports Facilities Program, and the infrastructure Australia needs now if it is serious about developing athletes for Brisbane 2032.

Support independent firearms-policy reporting and help Gun News Australia make more evidence-based episodes: https://www.patreon.com/c/gunnewsaustralia/membership

#GunNewsAustralia #OlympicShooting #AislinJones #ShootingSports #CommonwealthGames #Brisbane2032 #TargetShooting #VictorianPolitics

ONLY ONE PARTY has put a detailed firearms policy in front of Australian shooters — but publishing promises and delivering outcomes are two very different things.

We examine proposals for longer licence periods, practical secure storage at approved clubs and ranges, removing rules that serve no clear public-safety purpose, and reviewing firearm categories and genuine-reason requirements with proper industry input.

The central test is simple: can a published policy become workable law rather than another political promise?

Support independent firearms journalism: https://www.patreon.com/c/gunnewsaustralia/membership

#OneNationAustralia #FirearmsPolicy #LicensedShooters #NSWPolitics #VictorianElection #ShootingSportsAustralia #GunNewsAustralia #AustralianPolitics

THE NFA HAS JUST BEEN UPDATED — We look at how it affects you.

The newly signed agreement post-Bondi contains no national firearm cap, allows licences of up to five years, preserves a limited exception for lawful non-citizens and introduces no new national restriction on junior participation.

But the rules will not affect every shooter equally.

NSW has already imposed a four-firearm default cap, generally cut licence terms to two years and reclassified several common action types, while Victoria has expanded police reclassification powers.

The announced national firearms buyback is not contained in the agreement, several jurisdictions rejected or declined a national scheme, and the document provides no common implementation timetable.

We examine what changed, what disappeared and what was left to the states and territories—and ask whether the National Firearms Agreement has already collapsed into a national firearms disagreement.

Check out the updated NFA at https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/criminal-justice/files/national-firearms-agreement.pdf

Support our independent reporting and receive early access through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/gunnewsaustralia/membership

WHO ASKED SSAA? SSAA Victoria gave evidence about Commonwealth Games shooting facilities and the interests of the broader shooting sector—but nobody asked it to represent the shooting organisations who were responsible for the Commonwealth Games shooting events.

IN THIS EPISODE, we examine what SSAA told the parliamentary inquiry, which organisations actually administer international rifle, pistol and clay-target shooting, and why those recognised bodies were not consulted when the Games were cancelled and shooting facilities were discussed.

We also put two direct questions to SSAA Victoria. It did not answer either of them. It did not explain what authority it believed it had to speak for the broader sector, and it did not explain why Shooting Australia was not consulted.

This matters because consultation only works when governments hear from the organisations responsible for the affected sports. In this case, SSAA assumed a mandate it was never given. 

The result is that this stunt has now cost Victoria the opportunity to have international grade shooting facilities.

If you value independent, evidence-based firearms-policy reporting, support Gun News Australia through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/gunnewsaustralia/membership

#GunNewsAustralia #SSAA #ShootingAustralia #TargetShooting #CommonwealthGames #VictorianPolitics #LicensedShooters #ShootingSports

THIS ISN’T FAIR COMPENSATION. NSW’s fixed-price schedule assigns $600 to a rimfire rifle—even though Sean Frazer says a competition rifle can cost many times that amount.

In this follow-up interview, Gun News Australia speaks with competitive shooter Sean Frazer about the NSW gun buyback and what its published prices could mean in practice.

The official schedule lists $600 for a rimfire rifle, $450 for an air rifle, $850 for a double-barrel shotgun and $1,000 for a centrefire rifle. Phase 2 applies to eligible firearms valued above $3,000, carries an unspecified fee and is capped at $10,000.

Sean explains why competition firearms, modern air rifles and shotguns can cost several times the fixed payments—and why accessories may create another uncompensated loss.

IN THIS EPISODE, we also examine the $1,000–$3,000 gap, licensing and permit delays raised in the interview, the announced firearm-industry assistance, and the scheme’s timing ahead of the 2027 NSW election.

#GunNewsAustralia #NSWGunBuyback #LicensedShooters #FirearmsPolicy #NSWPolitics #ShootingSports #FirearmsLicensing #GunBuyback

VIC FIREARMS REGISTRY’S ALARMING DELAYS. Victoria’s published processing date for new firearm licence applications has slipped back to an indicative gap of 146 days — after improving to 111 days in May. 

Since recording this episode, that number has now jumped to 152 days!

IN THIS EPISODE, we look at why the queue matters to Victorian shooters, the Government’s earlier explanation for the delays, and why the deterioration since May now needs an answer.

We asked Victoria’s Police Minister, Paul Edbrooke, to explain what happened and offered him an interview. We gave his office until Friday 14 August to respond. No answer arrived by that deadline — although that silence does not tell us what caused the backlog.

The practical consequences can be real. For handgun newcomers, Victoria Police’s 13-NORI lifetime limit can leave someone unable to continue participating while they wait for their licence to be processed.

We also ask what role modern digital systems, automation and AI could play in reducing repetitive administrative work while keeping genuine suitability decisions in human hands.

Victorian shooters need three things: a backlog recovery date, a published service standard, and regular figures showing whether the queue is actually growing or shrinking.

#GunNewsAustralia #Victoria #FirearmsLicensing #LicensedShooters #VictoriaPolice #FirearmsPolicy #ShootingSports

NSW SHOOTERS FACE a gun buyback with fixed category payments that may be far below the value of some firearms.

IN THIS EPISODE of Gun News Australia, we speak with Phil Donato MP, Member for Orange, about the NSW Government’s newly announced buyback arrangements and what they could mean for licensed firearm owners and firearms businesses.

The discussion covers the published compensation figures, the later pathway for higher-value firearms, support offered to dealers, and the political timing ahead of the March 2027 NSW election.

Phil argues the scheme is unfair to people who lawfully acquired their firearms and says the Government has seriously underestimated the reaction among shooters.

They also discuss the rushed passage of the post-Bondi firearms laws, the pressure being reported by gun shops, the lessons Phil draws from the 1988 NSW election, which resulted in the Labor Unsworth Government being soundly defeated for bringing in new gun laws then - and what shooters can do now.

Watch the interview, check what the announced payments could mean for your firearms, and make your views known respectfully to your local MP.

The government’s buyback page is at: https://www.nsw.gov.au/legal-and-justice/gun-buyback

Are you a major party MP wanting to speak out against the buyback? Let us know: [email protected]

Check out our NCAT fundraiser over the NSW government’s secret policy agenda: https://www.gofundme.com/manage/filed-at-ncat-were-fighting-nsw-police-over-gun-policy

#GunNewsAustralia  #NSWPolitics  #NSWFirearms  #GunBuyback  #LicensedShooters  #PhilDonato  #FirearmsPolicy  #NSWElection