Shooters Union Australia supports calls for review of NSW category D firearm regulations

Shooters Union Australia has thrown its support behind a review of category D firearms regulations, which came into affect in late 2020, and which limit the amount of eligible weapons approved licence holders can access.

Many primary producers have hit back against the regulations, saying they hamper efforts to control pest animals, due to fit-for-purpose firearms not being permissible under the guidelines.

Shooters Union NSW president Craig Golding said a government review of the regulations would allow for primary producers to use the same pest eradication tools as their Queensland and Victorian counterparts.

"Imagine the state government said it was illegal for most people to own a racing car, and then decided because of that it was illegal for anyone own a Ford Falcon or Holden Commodore, because they are used in the V8s at Bathurst," Mr Golding said.

"That's basically what's happened to the state's primary producers - they're being denied an essential tool because it looks a bit like something designed and used for an entirely different purpose."

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In recent weeks, spokespeople for NSW Police Minister and Deputy Premier Paul Toole and NSW Agriculture Minister Dugald Saunders have said those leaders were in support of a review.

"I'm glad to see the issue is high on the agenda, and the new Police Minister is actually listening to those that have a genuine need for these firearms - our state's farmers and primary producers, who are currently denied the tools available to them in the other eastern states," Mr Golding said.

"I'm also pleased that the relevance of the NSW 'appearance laws' has been questioned publicly as the law itself defies logic.

"We've long had a problem with this state's firearms regulations being written and interpreted by people who get all their information from video games and movies, so it's good to see at least a small ray of sensibility is shining through on this issue."

Firearm manufacture Oceania Pacific's managing director Jeff Bacon said a review was needed "sooner rather than later" because the wording of the regulations' "of a kind" stipulation could impact licence holders across other categories.

"We manufacture three straight pull bolt action models that are category B by design and sell them into other states, but they are prohibited firearms here based solely on their appearance, captured by item seven of the regulation," Mr Bacon said.

"Amending the regulation to exclude appearance and removing the wording 'of a kind' is the solution, bringing NSW into line with the other eastern states."

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