Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines and Parts) Amendment Bill

Recent papers for the Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Parts and Magazines) Amendment Bill (the Bill) are to be proactively released. The aim of the proactive release is to ensure the public has full information to support any submissions on the Bill.

The papers seek approval to introduce a Bill to significantly restrict access to semi-automatic firearms, parts and magazines to improve public safety. The provisions cover prohibited firearms, parts and magazines; who will be exempted and how they will be controlled; and the offences applicable to prohibited items. The papers set out to ban a number of items, with a small number of specific exemptions for wild animal control activities and for dealers, collectors, museums and theatrical armourers.

A key proposal is to establish an amnesty regime to enable a reasonable period of time for newly prohibited items to be handed in to Police or licensed dealers. The existing amnesty for licensed dealers to receive certain firearms will be extended to prohibited firearms. The Bill also affirms that in all other cases where firearms are handed in, Police have the discretion not to prosecute where the offence is considered to be one of possession only and there is no public interest in doing so.

The Government has announced there will be a buy-back scheme. Further details will be available in due course.
 

Key to sections of the Official Information Act 1982 under which information has been withheld.

Certain information in this document has been withheld under one or more of the following sections of the Official Information Act, as applicable:

• Information is withheld under Section 6(a) where making it available would be likely to prejudice the security or defence of New Zealand or the international relations of the Government of New Zealand.
• Information is withheld under section 6(c) where making it available would be likely to prejudice the maintenance of the law, including the prevention, investigation, and detection of offences, and the right to a fair trial.
• Information is withheld under section 9(2)(f)(iv) in order to maintain the constitutional conventions for the time being which protect the confidentiality of advice tendered by Ministers of the Crown and officials.
• Information is withheld under section 9(2)(g)(i) in order to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and frank expression of opinions by or between or to Ministers of the Crown or members of an organisation or officers and employees of any department or organisation in the course of their duty.