Life And Society / Crime

Govt tweaks firearms law to help gun owners renew licences

17:07 pm on 4 November 2022

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The government is rushing through changes to firearms laws that will stop gun owners potentially being criminalised while they wait months in the queue for licence renewals.

The changes will mean as long as someone applies to renew their gun licence while the current one is still valid, they'll legally be able to keep and use their firearms after that licence expires and until their application is decided.

About 9000 applications are backed up and already 2000 licences have expired while people wait for new ones to be processed - meaning they cannot keep or use guns in their own right.

Grant Dodson from the Game Animal Council talks to Lisa Owen.