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Gun Licence Renewal Should Be Automatic

Automatic renewal of firearms licences should take place every five years, rather than requiring gun owners to reapply for the licence again, according to the Victorian Nationals.

By Peter Hall - 18th October 2007 - Back to News

Eastern Region MP Peter Hall raised the matter in Parliament last week, suggesting that an automatic licence renewal, with some requirements for mandatory reporting of changes circumstances, was a simpler and less time consuming process.

Mr Hall said The Nationals were not suggesting that licences be issued for 10 years, but rather have five-year licences that can be renewed automatically.

Mr Hall supported a proposal put forward by the Combined Firearms Council of Victoria.

"It has identified the automatic renewal of licences as one of its prime concerns," he said. "(The Council) says: The Firearms Act currently treats each licence renewal as a new application. Given the initial licence screening and ongoing monitoring of licence-holders by the Victoria Police, the requirement that renewals be treated as new applications does not add any value to the regulatory process. In fact, it adds costs to all concerned.

"Amending the act to provide for automatic renewals would not affect the ability of the chief commissioner to revoke a licence, and a new provision could be inserted to enable her to refuse to renew a licence that would otherwise be scheduled for automatic renewal.

"Moving to automatic renewals would release badly needed resources within the licensing services division to perform other functions as well as making the interface with shooters more 'user friendly'. Automatic renewals would provide administrative efficiency without having any impact on public safety -- therefore providing a net benefit."

"The CFCV has expressed the argument very well," Mr Hall added. "There should be a requirement for any licence-holder to notify authorities when there are changes of a significant nature to the circumstances and records attached to that particular licence.

"There is an automatic renewal process for a motor vehicle licence, but if for some reason there is a change in one's personal circumstance -- for example, certain medical conditions -- there is a mandatory requirement to notify VicRoads."

Mr Hall he did not believe the suggestion contravened the national firearms agreement. "On my reading of it, the agreement suggests that a firearm licence cannot be issued for longer than five years. That can be so.

"We are saying that we can continue to have five-year firearm licences but that they be renewed automatically, rather than requiring a separate application to renew each licence."

Mr Hall added that legal firearm owners had displayed great common sense in recent years.

"Universally, I think that people who do the right thing, those who legally own and use firearms, accept that there needs to be some form of regulatory regime to control ownership and use."

He said while there has been concern about firearm use for criminal activity purposes in our communities, "generally speaking, and certainly across the broad range of legal firearms owners and users, we do not have a real problem in our community.

"It is the illegal problem we need to look at and address. The real problems we have in this country with firearms are in regard to their illegal ownership, illegal importation and illegal use.

"Perhaps there should be a greater focus of attention from parliaments, at both federal and state levels, to address these problems rather than imposing further restrictions on legal and responsible firearm users."

Mr Hall urged the State Government to work with groups like the Combined Firearms Council of Victoria, which consists of organisations like Field and Game Australia, the Firearm Traders Association, the International Practical Shooting Confederation Australia, the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia, Target Rifle Victoria, the Victorian Amateur Pistol Association, the Victorian Clay Target Association, the Victorian Rifle Association and Vintagers (Order of Edwardian Gunners) Inc.

He added that the Antique and Historical Arms Collectors Guild of Victoria was another group that had specific concerns that should be considered by the State Government.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com